The Words Left Unspoken
by Chi Hisakata
Summary: After Soul gets injured during one of their battles, the guilt is eating at Maka, and Soul can't figure out what's wrong with her. Will that be the last battle the famous team of Soul and Maka fight together? And will the thoughts that they keep to themselves about each other tear them apart? SoMa pairing with a few OC's to add some drama. Rated M, just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, lovely people! This is my first go at writing a full blown ship fan fiction, so please help me out by giving your opinion or any pointers you might have through reviews. I'll be updating everything pretty often since I'm currently on vacation.**

**P.S. I unfortunately haven't read all of the manga for this series quite yet, therefore, this story is going to be based mostly on the anime, plus some additional research I do on a few things. **

* * *

**_Maka_**

_Why does this keep happening? _

I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks as I gazed at Soul's unconscious body laying in the infirmary bed. This wasn't the first time, and I knew it wouldn't be the last, but each time he landed in here because of me, it just hurts more and more.

"Maka, you should really go get something to eat," Miss Marie said worriedly from her desk. "Starving yourself won't make him get well any sooner."

I wiped the tears away, mechanically standing up and walking to the door. "I'm sorry. I lost track of time," I mumbled before stepping out of the infirmary and shutting the door behind me. Walking out the main entrance of the Academy, I saw that the sun was already beginning to set. With a heavy sigh, I sat down on the front steps and look out over Death City which has been my home for as long as I can remember.

Even the view from the front steps was amazing. The DWMA was at the very heart of Death City and it was also the highest point there was. For some reason, getting to look over the city calms me down whenever I'm upset. It's just a way to maintain my serenity. But even this didn't help in my current state.

"Maka? What are you doing here so late?" questioned a familiar voice.

Turning my head, I saw Liz Thompson, one of Kid's weapons striding towards me.  
"Just admiring the view," I replied, turning my gaze back towards the sunset. "What about you?"

"We just got back from a mission and Kid got a little beat up so he went to see Miss Marie with Patty," she said, sitting down next to me. "You seem kind of down. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head and forced a smile. "No. Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about something."

"Well, alright," she shrugged. "If you say so. How did your mission go with Soul?"

I couldn't bring myself to answer. The words felt like they were caught up in my throat.

"So that's it," sighed Liz. "You know, it wasn't your fault. You both knew when you signed up for this school that you'd be risking your lives in the name of justice and for each other, as partners. So it's not your fault."

I could tell that she was trying to comfort me, but her words seemed to go in one ear and out the other, judging from how much better they made me feel.

Still, I gave her a small smile, trying to muster as much sincerity into it as I could "Thanks, Liz. I'm fine. Really. You should be worrying about Kid. What happened to him anyway?"

Her smile faltered and she looked about as guilty as I felt.  
"He took a full on cannon blast for me and Patty. He stuck us in his back pockets before we could even react, and..."

I could tell that she knew how I felt. It was probably even worse for her since she'd sworn to protect Kid at all costs, and here she was unscathed while he'd taken a pretty rough blow. According to Soul, it was a Weapon's job to keep their Meister safe. The guilt must have been eating at her.

"Don't feel bad," I found myself saying. "It's Kid we're talking about. He pulled off a full recovery within less than a week of fighting the Asura. He'll be fine."

She looked at me gratefully and I felt an even heavier weight on my chest, for some reason.  
"And Soul survived being sliced in half by a demon sword," she stated "He'll be fine too."

I nodded, getting to my feet. "Right. I should probably go home, now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Liz nodded and waved goodbye as I made my way down the front steps of the Academy. The apartment I shared with Soul wasn't too far away, so I made it home before dark. It was eerily quiet without the sound of Soul softly strumming a guitar or singing. Or, in some cases, screaming and telling Blair to stop taking her clothes off.

I put down my book bag and went to take a shower. I'd asked Miss Marie to let me know as soon as Soul woke up, so I grabbed my phone and put it on the bathroom counter just in case she called.

After my shower, I curled up on my couch and read, anxiously glancing at my phone every few seconds until it finally rang.

My heart racing, I snatched it off the table and answered without even looking at the Caller ID. Big mistake.

"HEY MAKA! IT'S THE ONE AND ONLY BLACK STAR! GUESS WHO'S COMING BACK TO DEATH CITY IN A FEW DAYS! YEP! ME!"

I had to hold the phone at arm's length to keep my eardrums from bursting.

"Black Star, I'm kind of waiting for a phone call from the infirmary right now," I said when he finally stopped to take a breath. "Can I call you back?"

"Tsubaki wants to say hi really quick," he replied, not acknowledging my question whatsoever.

"Fine. Put her on."

"Hi Maka," said a familiar gentle voice. "How are things?"

"Not good. Soul's in the infirmary again," I told her.

"WHAT?! SOUL EATER'S INJURED? TSUBAKI WE HAVE TO GET BACK ASAP! ONE LOOK AT MY HANDSOME FACE AND HE'LL BE CURED!"

"That's enough sake for you," Tsubali told him sternly.

I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head. Black Star didn't need sake to be that obnoxious. That's how he usually was.

"Anyway, I can't wait to see you again, Maka-chan," said Tsubaki. "It's been, what, two months?"

"Yeah. It's been too long," I answered. "When are you two coming back?"

"In a few days," she replied. "There's still a few loose ends we have to wrap up here."

"Hey, Tsubaki. Do it. Tell her," said Black Star's voice from the background.

"No!"

I waited impatiently while they shared a few indistinguishable whispers before Tsubaki sighed into her mic and said in a solemn voice. "There's something I... We have to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Well, me and Black Star... We're...we're engaged."

My jaw practically dropped to the floor as I tried to find the right words. "What?"

"Me and Black Star..."

"Yeah, I got that part," I snapped. "But who proposed? Aren't you a little young? When's the wedding going to be? Oh my shinigami, I have to tell everyone."

"Maka, don't tell anyone," said Tsubaki, her voice shaking with laughter. "We aren't really engaged. That was just a prank."

"Your reaction was priceless!" laughed Black Star as I groaned and face-palmed.

"If that's all, I'll see you guys when you get back," I said. "I should really keep my phone line free in case Miss Marie calls about Soul."

"Later, Maka," called Black Star.

"I hope Soul gets better soon," said Tsubaki before hanging up.

I sighed and leaned back onto the soft couch cushions. It really has been two months since we defeated Asura. A few days afterward, Black Star and Tsubaki had made the announcement that they would be going to the Nakatsukasa house for a while to train. After some convincing, Stein granted them excused absence from the academy. It's been pretty quiet since Black Star left, and I never thought I'd admit this, but I actually kind of miss him. And Tsubaki. I really missed her. She was like a sister to me, and I haven't talked to her in about a month or so.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, my phone rang again and I checked the caller ID this time to avoid getting my ear blown out again. It was Miss Marie!

"Hello?" I said, my voice ringing with happiness.

"Maka! I thought you'd be asleep by now, but I promised to call you right when Soul woke up. Stein says now that he's awake, Soul will be just fine," Miss Marie chirped excitedly. "In fact, he can be out of the infirmary in a few days, if his recovery goes well."

"That's great news," I smiled. "Thank you so much, Miss Marie."

"Of course. Have a nice night."

"Alright. You too. Bye."

I hit end call and flopped onto the couch, smiling with relief. That idiot. He was so getting it tomorrow. But for now, I was just happy he was okay.

* * *

The alarm on my phone rang, playing the song Black Paper Moon to wake me up as usual. Still half asleep, I felt around for my phone and hit the Snooze button before rolling over...and falling off the couch.

Rubbing my head, I got up and went to the bathroom to clean myself up before redoing my pigtails and getting dressed in a white long sleeved blouse, a plaid skirt, and a vanilla sweater vest. For the finishing touch, I looped a green and white striped tie around my neck and smiled in the mirror. Soul would be okay, and that was enough to make my day. Plus, he'd be psyched to know that his best friend was coming back to Death City soon.

Skipping out the door, I hummed a tune that Soul had been working on for the past few weeks. He usually never played in front of me, but our apartment wasn't soundproof, so I could hear his music from my room.

As I was running late, I figured I would visit Soul after school and headed straight towards class Crescent Moon when I got to the Academy. As I was walking pass the infirmary, I caught a glimpse of a girl from my class coming out. If I remembered correctly, her name was Angel. She was known to be the prettiest girl in our year, and she was also pretty social. Everyone loved her, and most of the guys in our class drooled over her all the time, with the exception of Black Star who was too absorbed in himself, Ox, who was completely dedicated to Kim, and Soul, who was asleep most of the period almost everyday.

"Oh, Maka-chan," she said, spotting me. "Hello."

I hesitantly waved. "Hi. Angel, right?"

"Yeah. I'm in your class. I'm a Meister, like you," she stated, falling in step with me. "What happened to Soul? I saw him in the infirmary."

"He was being stupid during a mission," I muttered.

"Oh. Well, I hope he gets better," she said as we entered the classroom and she headed up to her usual seat.

I walked over and sat down next to Kid, who was engrossed in a book about ancient architecture.

"Good morning, Maka," he greeted without looking up.

"Morning," I replied. "How are you feeling?"

He glanced up at me and smiled. "Oddly, I don't feel like I got blasted in the face with a giant magic cannon yesterday. How's Soul?"

"Miss Marie called me last night saying that he finally came to and now his recovery should be much quicker."

"That's good," mused Kid. "Listen, don't be too hard on him for pulling a stunt like that. He just did it to protect you."

"That doesn't make it any less reckless or stupid," I grumbled as Professor Stein came in and started class.

I halfheartedly took notes, only paying attention half the time, which really wasn't like me. I couldn't help but let my mind wander to Soul. That idiot...

For some reason, I had the urge to throw my arms around him and hold him close and tell him that I was so happy that he was okay and that I was sorry for being such a bad Meister.

"Afternoon classes have been canceled due to a mission that came up for me. Maka, Kid, please stay after class," said the professor as the bell rang, pulling me out of my thoughts.

After the rest of the students trickled out of the room, Kid and I went to talk to Stein.

"Since Black Star and Tsubaki will be coming back soon, I'd like to have you two get them caught up with anything they might have missed as far as schoolwork goes. Also, your team is once again at the bottom of the class for Resonance Link training since two members have been gone, therefore, make up for lost time there as well," Stein instructed us.

We both nodded our understanding and left the classroom.

"I have no problem catching Tsubaki up, but Black Star..."

"I don't think I could manage him either," I sighed. "Where are Liz and Patty, by the way? I haven't seen them today."

"Liz said she needed a break and didn't feel like coming to school today," Kid replied. "Patty refused to leave the house without her sister, so I figured one absence once in a while isn't a big deal."

We passed by the infirmary and I stopped in my tracks. "I have to go visit Soul."

"Tell him I'll drop by later," he replied. "I have to do some research in the library right now."

I nodded and pulled open the door to the infirmary. Miss Marie barely looked up from her computer and I didn't want to bother her since she seemed so focused on her work.

I heard the familiar sound of Soul's voice followed by a soft tinkling laugh. Rounding the corner to where Soul's bed was, I saw that Angel was sitting in a chair beside his bed, giggling while twirling a strand of her auburn hair around her finger girlishly. Soul stopped mid-sentence when he saw me and waved with a guilty look on his face.

"Make, before you..."

"You idiot. I tell you every single time never to pull something like that again and you just keep doing it. If I were Stein, I'd get pretty tired of stitching you up every two weeks. Honestly, Soul. How dumb can you be?"

He rolled his eyes and gave me a toothy grin. "It's good to see you too, Maka."

"I think it's actually really sweet, what he did for you," Angel said, standing up. "You're lucky to have such a dedicated partner."

"What you call "dedicated" I call "reckless and stupid"," I replied. "Seriously, Soul, this has been your third time in here this month."

"You'd have been skewered if I hadn't jumped in front of you," he retorted.

"Because you're not at all human and you're totally invincible. You know, you _can_ die, Soul." And I couldn't live with myself if I was the cause.

"Yeah, well, next time, don't put yourself in such a vulnerable position."

"What else was I supposed to do?" I snapped back irritably. "I was cornered. It wasn't like I didn't have a plan!"

"Yeah? How'd your plan work out for you?" Soul questioned, his red eyes boring into mine.

"Soul... I..." taking a deep breath, I turned away before the tears overflowed.

"I'm so sorry," Angel's voice said softly. "I started that argument. I should really go. Get better soon, Soul. I'll drop by later."

I avoided her gaze as she brushed pass me and around the corner. Turning back to Soul, I sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just..."

_I just don't want you to get hurt because of me, or at all because I care about you more than anything!_

Now why was that so hard to say?

"It's cool. Sorry I yelled at you," he replied.

"Don't worry about it. Oh, guess what," I forced a smile, trying to change the subject. "Black Star and Tsubaki are coming back in a few days?"

"Yeah? How's their training going?"

"I didm't ask..." I replied.

_I didn't ask because I was so worried about you, Soul..._

There was an awkward silence, which was fortunately broken by Kid coming in with three bentos from the cafeteria.

"Hey, Soul. How are you feeling?" he asked, giving both of us lunches.

"Better. I'm just glad I'm awake," my Weapon replied.

"What, no one had to give you a true love's kiss to wake you up?" Kid teased, giving me a sideways glance. I elbowed him in the ribs, but that didn't seem to phase the Shinigami at all.

"No... Not as far as I know..." Soul replied, confused.

I decided to change the subject to classes and filled Soul in about what was happening. After about another hour of talking, Nygus, who was substituting as the nurse since Miss Marie and Professor Stein were on a mission, came in and too us that Soul needed his rest.

"Well, I'll see you later," Kid said to Soul.

I only waved as I followed Kid around the corner and out the door. It was still mid-afternoon, so we decided to go for some coffee in town.

"Man, I can't imagine ever skipping school," I laughed. "I wouldn't know what to do to pass the time."

"What if it was to go on a date with Soul?" asked Kid,, giving me a serious look.

"Would you stop it with that? Who told you anyway?" I demanded.

By then, it was our turn to order so Kid ordered his usual and got me a mocha.

"Well, we all had a sneaking suspicion," he finally said, turning to me. "It's not that hard to figure out. In fact, we were all counting on you two becoming a couple. I already lost my share of the bet on Valentine's Day."

"Bet?" I exclaimed incredulously. "You guys are betting on when we'll become a couple?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

"But why? Soul doesn't like me like that."

Kid just shook his head, the smile on his face suggesting he knew something I didn't. "Oh, Maka... You never know if you don't ask."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I won't do this for every chapter, but this is a take on what just happened in the last chapter from Soul's point of view, plus a few additional things. This is my first time doing something like this, so let me know if it's cool or stupid. **

_**Soul**_

Being stuck in the infirmary is the opposite of cool. Still, I'd rather be in here than see Maka in my position.

I've been awake for a few hours now, and I can hear the sound of students pouring into the Academy. I guess classes are starting.

Glad I didn't have to sit through another boring dissection lab, I wondered if Maka would drop by before school. As much as I dreaded the yelling and ranting that would come with her, I kind of wanted to see her smile when she finally got it all out of her system. It's been a routine for us lately. I land myself in the infirmary, Maka cries about it (or so my friends and Miss Marie have told me), I recover enough to talk, she comes in and yells at me for being so reckless and stupid...and then she smiles at the end and hugs me, saying she's so glad I'm okay.

It sort of makes the pain of being stuck in here without anything to do seem worth it.

I heard the door open and expect to see Maka, but that hope was drained when a girl named Angel from our class walked in. Not having anything better to do, I listened in on her conversation with Miss Marie, Professor Stein's partner.

"How is she?" Angel asked, a worried look on her face.

"Ariana... Ariana didn't make it," Miss Marie replied solemnly. "I'm sorry, but there wasn't much even Stein could do for her."

"No... Don't apologize, Miss Marie," Angel told her. The girl sounded like she was about to cry as she looked at the ground. "Um... If Ariana didn't make it...can I ask who's in here?"

She must have noticed the translucent curtain pulled around my bed and I quickly turned my gaze to the window. It wouldn't be very cool if they knew I was eavesdropping.

"Oh, Soul Eater's recovering from a mission a few days ago," replied Marie. "Isn't he in your class?"

Angel nodded. "Can I go say hi? I won't be long. I just want to see how he's doing."

That's odd. We usually never talked during class, or even outside of class. I wonder what makes her want to see me all of a sudden.

Angel walked over and pulled the curtain aside. I had to admit, she was pretty damn cute. She had auburn hair that went down to her waist and hazel eyes with golden flecks. I'd say she's one of the pretties girls at the DWMA.

"Hey, I hope I'm not bothering you," she said with a shy smile.

"Nah, it's not like I've got much to do in here," I replied.

"How are you feeling? I heard you've been out for a few days."

"Really? I've been asleep that long?" I wondered out loud.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the first bell rang and she haves a sigh before smiling. "Well, that's my cue to get to class. I hope you get well soon. I'll see you later."

I nodded and gave her a small wave as she turned and headed to class. So I guess Maka wasn't coming in after all.

Sighing, I turned to look out the window and wondered what to do to kill the time until school ended in around six hours. That's a hell of a long time to sit still.

I tried extending my arm and winced at the pain. I didn't even have enough strength to pull off a partial transformation?

Cursing, I let my mind wander and, surprise surprise, my thoughts somehow landed back on Maka. Right now, she'd be sitting in class, intently taking notes while occasionally tucking a strand of hair behind her ear or twirling her pencil between her fingers while she waited to write down something else. It's pretty hard for me to pay attention when I'm sitting next to her, so I'd always have to copy her notes after class and tell her I'd fallen asleep out of boredom, which I'm sure would be the case if I wasn't sitting next to Maka.

Thinking back to the day we met, I remember thinking she was a total nerd and a bookworm, and that there was no way I'd partner up with someone like that, even if her father was a Deathscythe. The whole reason I came to this school was to get away from my family and catch a break from all the suits and the cocktail parties I'd have to go to with them. I wanted a cool partner, not some boring bookworm.

I snuck away from the group during orientation and decided to go exploring. The DWMA seemed pretty big from the outside, but seeing as it wasn't an average school, there was bound to be something cool to do.

After going down a few hallways, I took a flight of stairs up to the next floor and found a few music rooms. One had a piano in it, and I figured one song wouldn't hurt. It's not like orientation was a blast.

My parents always made me play classical stuff back at home. It's not like I didn't respect Mozart and all his pals for coming up with the classics, but I've never gotten to play my own stuff on the piano since my parents think it's trash.

I ran my fingers over the keys, grinning. "This, is who I really am," I said out loud before I started playing one of my own pieces. When the song ended, I jumped at the sound of someone clapping from behind me.

I turned to see who it was without getting up from the bench. The girl from my orientation group, Maka Albarn, was standing there with her hands behind her back.

"That was really good," she smiled.

"Erm, thanks. Why are you stalking me, though?"

"I wasn't stalking you. I stopped to take some notes about what the teacher was saying and I lost the group," she replied, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I wandered around a bit and saw you walk in here, so I decided to come see if you knew where the group was."

"Sorry. I don't have a clue. I ditched you guys a while ago," I shrugged.

"Oh... Who was that piece by?"

"Me."

"You mean that was an original? You're really talented."

"Thanks. I'm Soul. Soul Evans."

"As in _the_ Evans family?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, what of it?" I demanded. Seriously, if she was another one of those people who wanted to be friends with me for my family's money...

But she just shook her head, her long pigtails swaying. "I just never knew Magic weapons was in their bloodline. I'm Maka, by the way. Maka Albarn."

"They keep it covered up. They think it's embarrassing and freakish," I told her. "Aren't you Spirit's daughter?"

She made a disgusted face. "I'd rather be associated with my mom, but yea, he's my father."

"Alright, who's your mom?"

"Her name's Kami. She's the one who made my good for nothing papa into a Deathscythe," the girl replied, a glimmer in her eyes. "She was one of the DWMA's best before she retired to travel the world. I want to follow in her footsteps."

"So, Kami's daughter, you want to blow this joint and go grab something to eat in town?" I asked.

She looked taken aback by the question, but nodded. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

I shrugged. "Not sure. I just got here last night so I don't know any good places."

"I guess I'll just have to give you a full town orientation then," she giggled, holding out a hand.

With a small smile, I reached out and took it. She wasn't too bad, for a nerd.

I followed her outside, down the front steps, and through the winding streets of Death City.

"You seem to know your way around," I observed.

"Oh, that's because I grew up here. My father's stationed here as Lord Death's personal Weapon, and my mom just kind of...disappeared one night," she replied, her eyes downcast. "I've only left this city once or twice before."

"Well, once we graduate, how about I take you on a tour of the world?" I suggested. "If it's cool with your parents."

She smiled brightly and turned to face me. "Really, Soul? I'd love that so much. I've always wanted to travel."

I found myself returning the smile. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled for real, and not because I had to. "Of course. Cool guys like me don't go back on their word."

Maka softly giggled before pulling open a door of a small bakery. "This is my favorite place in town. Order whatever you'd like. It's on me."

I shrugged. "I'll get whatever you order."

She thought about it for a second and ordered two of her usual before taking a seat near the window. "So why did you decide to come to the DWMA, Soul?"

I pulled out the chair across from, her and sat down, adjusting my tie. "Well, I was planning on becoming a Death Scythe."

"That's a long ways," she mused, gazing out the window. "We'd have to collect 99 Kishin eggs and take down a Witch."

"We?"

"Oh, I mean whoever we decide to team up with. I was planning to make someone into a Death Scythe myself since I'm a Meister. Those are just the requirements for becoming one of Lord Death's Weapons. I'll make one stronger than my father. Just watch."

I grinned and placed my chin on my hands. "Yeah? Then why don't we team up?"

Her eyes widened the slightest bit as she looked at me in shock. "Serious?"

"Yeah. I'm serious," I stated as the waitress brought over our desserts. I handed her a credit card from my wallet before Maka could pay and told her to make a tab here for me.

"You haven't even tasted it yet," Maka pointed out.

"I didn't make it for me," I shrugged, taking a bite of the chocolate strawberry cake. Not my favorite flavor, but the taste was okay. It could rival the ultra expensive cakes my mother would order from England. "You said this was your favorite place, didn't you? So just tell them to put it on my tab any time you come here."

She shook her head. "No way in heck. I never agreed to that."

"Fine, have it your way. Use it on a rainy day or something," I mumbled, holding out a hand. "So, about teaming up. What do you say? Partners?"

Maka just looked at it for a second before nodding. "Alright. Partners."

A knock on the infirmary door pulled me out of my thoughts and I saw Angel walking in.

"Oh, hi Angel. Are you here to see Soul?" Miss Marie asked.

"Yes, is he awake?"

"Go on in and see for yourself."

I could hear her footsteps coming towards my bed, her heels clicking on the floor. She'd changed out of her uniform and into something a bit more girly. It was a simple white dress which went down to her knees with lace designs at the bottom along with a light blue cardigan. She looked like one of those girls my parents always tried to set me up with before I left. But the look suited Angel pretty well.

"Hey, Soul," she said with a smile as she held out a can of my favorite soda. "I didn't know what you usually eat for lunch... So... I got you this because I always see you drinking a ton of them during class."

"Thanks," I replied, taking it with an easy grin. "Aren't you supposed to be in class, though?"

"Well, Stein says afternoon classes are cancelled because an urgent mission came up, so I decided I'd come visit you," she answered, blushing a little at the end.

"Cool. Hey, I'm sorry about what happened to your partner," I blurted without thinking. "That must have been hard."

Her eyes started tearing up and I immediately regretted saying anything.

"Y...yeah... Ariana was my best friend," she told me, her voice trembling the slightest bit. "She's been a sister to me ever since we were kids. Before I started at the DWMA. She always promised to look after me, and she was my only friend here for the longest time since I used to be really shy."

I wordlessly nodded as she composed herself and forced a smile. "Look at me, ranting on about myself... I'm such a mess. I'm sorry."

"No, it's cool. Don't worry about it," I assured her. "Uh, do you know where Maka, by any chance. She was at school today, right?"

Angel nodded her head slowly, in thought. "Let's see. Professor Stein asked her and Death the Kid to stay after class, but I don't know what for since I went to the vending machine and then came straight here."

"Knowing those two, they're probably asking to do extra credit work or something," I muttered.

Angel laughed softly as the door opened and Maka stepped inside.

"Make, before you..." I began, but she cut in before I could finish.

"You idiot. I tell you every single time never to pull something like that again and you just keep doing it. If I were Stein, I'd get pretty tired of stitching you up every two weeks. Honestly, Soul. How dumb can you be?"

I rolled my eyes and gave her a toothy grin. "It's good to see you too, Maka."

"I think it's actually really sweet, what he did for you," Angel said softly, standing up. "You're lucky to have such a dedicated partner."

"What you call "dedicated" I call "reckless and stupid"," Maka replied. "Seriously, Soul, this has been your third time in here this month."

"You'd have been skewered if I hadn't jumped in front of you," I reminded her. Why couldn't she see that I wasn't trying to be some hero? All I wanted to do was keep her from getting hurt, dammit.

"Because you're not at all human and you're totally invincible. You know, you _can_ die, Soul." Maka snapped.

"Yeah, well, next time, don't put yourself in such a vulnerable position."

"What else was I supposed to do?" she retorted irritably. "I was cornered. It wasn't like I didn't have a plan!"

"Yeah? How'd your plan work out for you?" I demanded, holding her gaze coldly.

"Soul... I..." taking a deep breath, she turned away.

"I'm so sorry," Angel said. "I started that argument. I should really go. Get better soon, Soul. I'll drop by later."

I nodded and waved goodbye. There was no point in getting her caught up in an argument between me and Maka.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just..."

Looks like I won't be getting my hug after all.

"It's cool. Sorry I yelled at you," I replied.

"Don't worry about it. Oh, guess what," she forced a smile, changing the subject. "Black Star and Tsubaki are coming back in a few days?"

"Yeah? How's their training going?"

"I didm't ask..." she admitted.

There was an awkward silence, which was broken by Kid coming in with three bentos from the cafeteria.

"Hey, Soul. How are you feeling?" he asked, giving both of us lunches.

"Better. I'm just glad I'm awake," I shrugged, opening the lunch box and digging in.

"What, no one had to give you a true love's kiss to wake you up?" Kid teased. I saw Maka elbowing him in the ribs, but the guy didn't seem to feel it.

"No... Not as far as I know..." I replied slowly.

Maka changed the subject to classes and filled me in about what was happening. I listened and nodded, and after about another hour of talking, Nygus, who was substituting as the nurse since Miss Marie and Professor Stein were apparently on a mission, came in and told them that I needed my rest.

"Well, I'll see you later," Kid said to me as he made his way to the door.

Maka just gave me a small wave as she followed him out, leaving me in pretty much dead silence.

Have I mentioned that I hate being stuck in the infirmary?

Still, I can't believe I was such a jerk to Maka, but she always freaks out and overreacts about, well, pretty much everything. I was lucky she didn't Maka Chop me this time...

So, at the end of the day, everything turned out the opposite of the way I'd wanted it to, but since when does planning actually work at the DWMA? Sometimes, you just gotta go by instinct. And my instinct tells me I have to go find Maka and apologize to her, and while I'm at it, somehow make her smile again, because just her smile can brighten up any lame day in the book.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Maka**_

I headed straight home after having coffee with Kid, who had refused to say anything further about what he'd said earlier. I swear, if he knows something I don't and he's keeping it to himself, he's going to get his soul taken, Reaper or not.

On my wake back, I passed the DWMA and thought about going up and patching things over with Soul. I didn't mean to get so upset, or upset him, but I was just so worried about him. I still can't believe he'd pull something like that after being declared dead by Dr. Stein last time.

After a lot of crying and begging and demanding, the professor finally agreed to give it one more shot, but not before telling me to prepare for the worst and be ready to find a new partner. I just shook my head and told him that I refused to budge until he told me that my partner was going to be okay. It took hours, but Stein finally came out of the operating room and told me that Soul would live. I remember crying even harder, despite the fact that I'd run out of tears a long time ago.

With a heavy sigh, I climbed the many steps up to the Academy and headed for the infirmary. Halfway down the hall, I trailed to a stop, my feet feeling like lead.

At the end of the hallway was Soul, along with Angel. She had her back against the wall and he was in front of her, a hand next to her head and his face just inches from hers.

And at that moment, my heart shattered.

I wanted to turn away. I couldn't watch this. But my legs felt too heavy and my entire body seemed frozen. The two of them hadn't noticed me, but fortunately, they both turned and walked up the stairs without seeing me standing here.

With robotic legs, I walked back out of the Academy and down the front steps, not really seeing where I was going, but rather just walking in the direction my legs told me was home.

That image of Soul and Angel played over and over in my head. Each time, I felt like my heart shattered into smaller and smaller pieces, unable to ever be put back together. I wanted to leave. Leave Death City, leave the Academy, leave Soul. But I couldn't. I owed my mother that much. I will turn Soul into a Deathscythe and follow in Kami's footsteps. I won't let her down.

Before I knew it, I was in front of my apartment door and I shakily pulled it open and practically fell inside before pushing the door shut and sliding my back down against it until I was sitting on the floor. I wanted to cry, but I think part of me was still frozen in shock.

"What did you expect, Maka?" a voice in my head demanded. "You were being a complete jerk while Angel is always warmly smiling and telling him how sweet he is for protecting you! If you were in Soul's position, who would you rather be with, you idiot?"

I laughed humorlessly as I began realizing that my conscience was beginning to sound like Ragnarok.

But my Ragnarok Conscience was right. I'm always hitting Soul with my Maka Chop and getting mad at him for the smallest things, and freak out unnecessarily at him when he's only trying to keep me from harm. I should be thanking him and being by his side rather than yelling at him and just leaving.

Sighing, I pulled my knees up to my chest and sat there for Lord Death knows how long.

* * *

When morning dawned on Death City, I couldn't bring myself to get up and get ready.

"Sorry mom," I whispered as I gazed at a photo of her that was tucked under my pillow. "I promise I'll catch up and do extra work for it, but..."

I trailed off as I realized I was crying and I buried my face in my pillow. I've never wished my mama was here more than I did right now. I could only hope she was happy; somewhere, somehow. That someone was making her smile.

And somehow, I cried myself back to sleep, longing for my mother's embrace.

The next time I woke up, it was mid-afternoon. The clock on my desk read 2:46 pm and I somewhat mechanically got to my feet and went to the bathroom. My hair was a complete mess and my eyes were red and puffy from crying. I figured now that I'd gotten all the tears out, I might as well head up to the Academy and get my assignments for today, but in this condition, everyone would pester me asking what was wrong. I didn't want any attention. I wanted the exact opposite. So I pressed some concealer that Liz had gotten me for my birthday around my eyes, hiding the redness and I lined around my eyes with a brown waterproof eyeliner before brushing out my hair and deciding that pigtails were just too much effort. I simply swept my hair into a ponytail before brushing my bangs to one side and heading to my room to get changed.

My dirty laundry has been completely neglected with everything that's been happening lately, and even my combat jacket laid in the To-Wash pile along with my regular school clothes. I managed to dig up a plaid skirt and a white t-shirt from my drawers, but everything else was dirty. Sifting through my closet, I found the leather jacket my dad had bought me for Christmas and slipped it on over the white shirt before putting on my shoes and heading out the door.

I tried my best to numb up any emotion I had as I approached the DWMA. I wouldn't shed a single tear while I was here. I would just stop by the classroom and ask for the assignments for today. Then I'd be back to school tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my plea of going unnoticed wasn't answered and I got a number of stares as I walked up the front steps of the DWMA. I pretended not to notice and look straight ahead, but I could feel the curiosity in everyone's souls, even without trying.

"Maka? Is that you?" asked Kid's voice from up ahead.

Looking up, I saw Death the Kid striding down the stairs, holding his book bag in front of him to keep thing symmetrical as usual.

"No, Kid, it's Black Star. I just dyed my hair blond and magically grew breasts," I taunted sarcastically. "Yes, it's Maka!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "But you look really different."

"Thanks?" It came out more of a question than a statement.

"A good kind of different," Kid added. "Where were you today? I thought you said you'd never ditch school, like what, yesterday?"

"Yeah," I said simply as I continued walking. "Your point?"

"So what were you doing that was so important?" he pressed.

I sighed, stopping mid-step and turning to face him. "Look, Kid, thanks for worrying, but I am really just fine. You should be worrying about Soul. He _is _the one bedridden because of my stupidity and slow thinking."

"Maka..." he said, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know you're upset, but you should just go talk to him. I know he's probably waiting to see you by now."

"Why would he? He's got an angel to keep him company," I muttered as I brushed his hand away. "I'm just here to get today's assignments from Professor Stein."

"Well, Stein and Marie haven't returned yet. Your dad substituted for him today."

Great. I was really not in the mood to talk to my dad.

"On second thought, would you mind filling me in? Please?"

Kid thought about it for a second and smiled. "I suppose. I managed to get a hold of the professor's lesson plans too since I have a master key that opens any door here. However, I will only do so on one condition."

I dreaded what sort of scheme he'd come up with. It was even worse than I'd expected.

"Go visit Soul."

"No."

"Yes. And you can have a copy of today's lesson plan, plus a list of extra credit work you could do," stated Kid.

I violently shook my head, but let Kid drag me up the front steps and into the Academy.

"You can let go now, Kid," I protested as he pushed open the infirmary door. "I'll go in on my own! Let…"

I trailed off, the words caught in my throat. Angel was sitting on Soul's bed, feeding him lunch. I'm pretty sure there was nothing wrong with his arms, too

Instinctively, I shoved pass Kid and ran down the hall and up to the roof. Even though the door was never locked, there was barely ever anyone up here. I leaned over the edge a little bit and screamed at the top of my lung before collapsing onto my knees and eventually just sitting down with my back against the short wall.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Kid walked up with a granola bar in hand. Handing it to me, he sat down in silence.

"Is that why you ditched?" he asked.

I remained silent, but that was answer enough for him.

"We're all rooting for you, alright? Angel's nice and all, but she'll never have the kind of history you and Soul have. He's never risked his life for her and she's never risked her soul for him."

"So? I can't compete with her. I'm not as pretty or as nice," I pointed out. "She's the prettiest girl in our year. How could I compete with that?"

"Maybe it's not about competing. Maybe Soul already likes you, but he just hasn't said it yet? It's not too late, Maka," he told me, meeting my gaze. "So just tell him _before _it becomes too late."

I looked away. I had to. Those intense golden eyes always knew what to look for in someone's soul. Exactly what to say to get to them.

"Just think about it, alright?" he said, getting to his feet. "And eat that. You look like you haven't eaten a thing all day."

I slowly opened the granola bar and took a small bite, hardly noticing as Kid opened the door and went downstairs.

_Before it was too late._

It already felt like it was too late, though. Why would Soul like me? He always made a point to comment on how flat-chested I was every chance he got, and how bad my cooking was sometimes. Not to mention the fat ankles thing, way back when.

After finishing the granola bar, I decided to go down and talk things out with Soul. I still hadn't decided whether or not I'd do what Kid had told me to do, but I just didn't feel like I could leave things the way they were between us.

Walking back downstairs, I absentmindedly waved at some of my classmates while trying to avoid anyone I usually talked to. That wasn't too hard, though, considering I didn't have many friends outside of my Resonance Link team.

When I finally arrived at the infirmary, I couldn't help my hand from shaking as I turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside and noticed that Angel was gone.

I cleared my throat, announcing my presence to Soul who was staring blankly out the window.

He turned and I could see his eyes widen as he took in my new look.

"It's temporary," I stated. "I kind of haven't done any laundry for the past week."

"Nah. I like it. So you're finally learning to slack off," he chuckled. "Nice."

"No, it's not that," I said quickly. "I've just had a lot on my mind and I forgot."

He didn't have to know that I went straight into my bedroom and pretty much cried myself to sleep every night.

"So…where'd Angel go? I didn't get a chance to say hi," I said, walking towards his bed and leaning against the wall next to it.

"So, that wasn't you who came in and then turned around and left?" he teased, flashing me a crooked grin.

"N…no. Kid pulled me back out because… We had something to talk about," I replied. Man, I suck at lying.

Soul knew it too. "Maka, you suck at lying."

I sighed and shrugged. "I was hungry so I went and got a granola bar."

He nodded, probably deciding not to press any further on the matter.

"So, are you and Angel...?"

"What? Dating?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded.

"Nah."

Something in my heart sparked up a little. Maybe it was hope. "Well, in any case, I'm really sorry for overreacting like that. I didn't meant to piss you off after you just woke up."

Soul broke into a grin and held out his arms. "I'm waiting."

I couldn't help but smile as I reached over and gave him the traditional hug after yelling at him. It's become kind of a routine for us. I freak out and yell at him, then smile and hug him and tell him that I was so glad he was okay. Well, better late then never.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Soul," I whispered into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm glad you're okay too."

And I was. I really was okay, here in his arms. I could feel the shattered pieces of my heart slowly being mended back together.

After a few seconds I pulled away and noticed that he had a weird expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"That doesn't usually happen," he muttered, lifting a hand up and gently wiping a tear from my cheek. "I didn't even come close to death this time."

.I quickly brushed the tears away with my hand and laughed. "Guess I'm just really happy."

"Why?"

"Well, you're okay, and Tsubaki's coming back…" And he wasn't dating Angel! I mentally stuck my tongue out at my negative conscience as my eyes widened. "Oh, no! I just remembered I have to catch them up on everything and my folders are completely unorganized… I still don't know how I'm going to get Black Star to shut up long enough to get through all the lessons…"

Soul chuckled and lightly patted the top of my head. "You're Maka. I know you can do it."

My lips curved into a smile and I sat on the edge of his bed as we talked for a while Before I knew it, the sun was setting and I'd totally lost track of time.

"Hey, Maka," Soul grinned as I was about to walk out the door. "Guess who's getting discharged tomorrow."

I froze and gaped at him. "What? Seriously? That's so cool!"

"I try to save the best for last. See you tomorrow," he waved.

I nodded and waved back as I closed the door. "See you tomorrow."

Practically skipping down the hallway, I realized that I hadn't stopped smiling since I hugged Soul, and I couldn't stop. He would be coming home tomorrow! I'd have to look up recipes and prepare everything. Plus I had to buy groceries and do the laundry. Man, I've been out of it.

Without missing a beat, I broke into a run, taking the stairs two at a time and headed for the grocery store. After ten minutes of zooming around the store, I finally got everything we needed, plus a few extra ingredients for practice.

By the time I got home, the moon was smiling in the sky and I only had a few minutes to look up a few good recipes and try them out. Surprisingly, I got it to a pretty good taste after only two attempts and even went as far as to squeal in victory. Usually, it took me forever to get a dish down. I guess today was looking up for me.

After I did that, I went and looked through all my files for the past two months, both on the computer and in my room. They were everywhere and they'd take forever to get back in order, but that wasn't too big of a deal. As I was doing that, I dialed up Kid's number and he picked up after a few rings.

"Hey, you promised me today's assignments," I stated, my phone pressed between my ear and my shoulder as I sifted through the papers, throwing anything unnecessary into the recycle.

"Oh, I'll email them to you in a second," he replied, sounding absentminded. I could hear typing in the background, so that was probably why. "Alright. I sent the files. Check your email."

I went out to the living room and pulled up my email on the computer Soul and I shared. "'kay, I got it. Thanks a ton, Kid."

"Don't mention it," he replied. "How'd it go?"

"Well, I didn't exactly confess my feelings, but it went well," I informed him, rummaging in the drawer for my USB drive before saving the file and Forwarding the email to Soul. "Did you see what happened with Angel?"

"No, I left for the vending machines right after you," he answered in a distant tone. "Was she gone when you went in?"

"Yep. It probably wouldn't have gone so well otherwise," I sighed. "Oh, and Soul is getting discharged tomorrow!"

"That's great news. He'll be able to go to the welcome back dinner for Black Star and Tsubaki."

"The what?"

"Those two are coming back tomorrow. They called me a few hours ago."

"Well, I was thinking of cooking tomorrow, but I guess that works too," I told him. "Look, I have to go. I can't find that one essay from a month ago."

"You sound like you're freaking out. Do you need help?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Oh, I'm fine," I smiled. "I'm in a much better mood now. It's a good kind of freaking out. Bye!"

I hung up and went back to work, finally getting everything organized and cleaned up by midnight. Except I didn't get to do my laundry. Looks like I'll have to change up my style for one more day. That's not too bad.

Jumping into bed, I curled up in my blankets and thought about how amazing just hugging Soul for a few seconds felt as I drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Maka**_

_"Fairy Blue, kimi no tame ni..."_

I reached over and hit the snooze button on my phone as I got out of bed and stretched. Today was going to be pretty eventful. Soul was getting out of the infirmary, Black Star and Tsubaki were coming back, and I might just get to do my laundry.

Strolling down the hall to the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and took a quick shower before drying my hair and putting it into a ponytail. Then, I put on some eyeliner and pulled on a black tank top, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of combat boots, along with my leather jacket before checking myself in the mirror. Smiling with satisfaction, I grabbed my book bag and headed out the door. If I got there extra early, I'd have a few minutes to go see Soul. I tried not to think about Angel beating me there again, but the thought kept teetering on the edge of my brain.

No. I've decided that even if he chooses to go out with Angel, I'll try to be happy for him. I won't try to compete with her. I'll just be a good partner and friend to Soul, and be there for him when he needs me. I mean, that's what a good Meister does, right? It's the least I could do for him after everything he's done for me.

I made it to the school in five minutes and ran up the front steps, barely noticing that I was out of breath as I went down the hallway towards the infirmary. Luckily, no one was there yet. Looks like I made it in time.

Soul was still sleeping soundly in the infirmary bed and I couldn't help but smile as I walked over and placed his breakfast on the small bedside table.

Not wanting to disturb him, I figured I should probably just get to class, but Soul stirred in his sleep and his hand wrapped around my wrist.  
"Maka, don't go..."

I turned around, but he was still asleep, so I gently sat down on his bed and moved his hair out of his face. He was honestly really cute when he was asleep. He seemed serene and peaceful, and he wasn't trying to be all "cool" for once.

A few seconds later, Soul slowly opened his eyes, meeting my gaze. "Maka?"

"Good morning," I smiled warmly.

"Morning," he said, groggily returning the smile. He looked down at his hand which was still around mine and blushed "Sorry..."

"No, it's fine," I replied as he let go. "I made you breakfast. Here."

I handed him the box with the food I'd made last night and stuck in the fridge.

"Thanks, Maka," he grinned widely.

"I hope you like it," I said as the bell rang. "I've got to get to class, but I'll be back with a change of clothes for you after school."

"I've got a few things in my locker, so you don't have to walk all the way home," he said. "I'll see you then."

I waved cheerily and headed to class, taking my seat next to Kid as Stein began his lecture. Hardly paying attention, I ran down to the lunchroom as soon as class was dismissed for break. I ordered Soul Eater's usual and went back up to the infirmary.

"Soul, I got you your usual lunch," I called as I opened the door. My smile faltered as soon as I saw Angel. "Oh. Hey, Angel."

"Hello, Maka. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going to buy him lunch so I already gave him my bento," she said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, no. It's no problem," I said with a forced smile. "I just remembered I have something to do, so I've got to run. I'll pick you up later, Soul."

I didn't wait for a response before I pulled the door shut and walked up to the roof. Setting the lunch tray on the wall beside me, I looked over Death City and sighed. I really have to learn to control my jealousy.

"Hey, you gonna eat that or what?"

I started at the familiar arrogant voice. Turning around, I saw Black Star striding towards me, his hands folded casually behind his head.

"No, I'm not a big fan of meat," I shrugged, smiling as I gave him a quick hug. "Welcome back to DC."

"It's awesome to be back," he grinned, taking a bite of the burger. "I forgot how good the school food was. Man, I almost forgot what an actual burger tastes like."

I couldn't help but gape at the statement. Black Star not pigging out on fast food for two months? That was seriously hard to believe.

"So where's Tsubaki?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"She's in the infirmary. She wanted to go see Soul first thing," answered Black Star. "Since when are him and that girl from our class so close?"

"Since he wound up in the infirmary," I muttered, not meeting his gaze.

"Digging the new look, by the way. Did you finally hit your rebellious phase? Better late than never."

There was something different about the guy standing in front of me. He looked like Black Star. He sounded like Black Star. Still, it's not like him to comment on something like that. Or show up without announcing himself as the biggest star around.

"Thanks, but it's only because I haven't been keeping up with my laundry," I said. "How'd training go?"

"Pretty awesome. I got even stronger than I already was. I know, hard to believe, right?"

And there was the Black Star we all knew.

"So are you attending the second half of classes today?" I asked.

"Nah. We've been gone for two months. I think half a day won't really make that much of a difference. Plus, we still have to unpack and everything, but we decided we wanted to drop by and say hi first."

"You know you're eventually going to have to get caught up on everything, right?" I grimaced.

"Oh, that? A big man like me can handle studying and training at the same time, no problem. So we had Stein email in our assignments."

"What? But me and Kid were told to get you guys caught up."

"Well, just the details, I guess. I mean, I have a general idea of what's been going on, but we might be missing a few little things that might be on a test or something," he replied, looking thoughtful.

Okay. Something was definitely off here. Black Star was actually keeping up on his academics?!

"Anyway, let's go down and see Soul," he cheered, breaking into a grin. "I'm sure he's dying to see my grand entrance! Hurry up!"

With a sigh, I ran down the stairs after him. All our friends were already gathered in the infirmary. Even Crona and Ragnarok had made it back, and Liz and Patty were there too.

I gave Tsubaki a huge hug, and Crona, too. It was like back when we would all get together and hang out at each other's houses or go down and play basketball at the Death City court. But that kind of stopped after Black Star and Tsubaki left. It just didn't feel the same.

Eventually, the bell rang, signaling that it was time for me, Liz, Patty, Crona, and Kid to get back to class.

"See you in a bit, Soul," I waved as I followed the others out the door. Black Star and Tsubaki still stuck around since they had no intentions of going to class today.

The minutes felt like hours, and finally, the bell rang and I went down to Soul's locker on the other side of the school to get his clothes. I've seem him spin his locker combo enough times to have it memorized, so getting in was no problem. My heart dropped a little when I saw a little card tucked in the corner along with a teddy bear.

My brain told me I shouldn't look into it, but I followed my curiosity instead, pulling the card that was tucked in the teddy bear's lap out. It looked like it was a Valentine's Day card. This was from last month then.

The inside of the card was blank, so I put it back where I found it, noticing the necklace around the bear's neck for the first time. It had a silver chain and there was a small emerald amulet that hung from it. It was honestly the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I'd have to ask who it was for, even though I dreaded the answer.

Reaching up to the top shelf, I found a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red hoodie. I shrugged and closed the locker before heading to the infirmary to get Soul checked out.

"Maka," he grinned when he saw me walk in. My heart jumped a little at the smile and I handed him the clothes I found in his locker.

"I didn't see any shoes in there. I can run home and get you a pair."

"No, it's fine," he told me, holding up a pair of Converse. "Already called in a favor from our assassin friend."

I turned away as he began getting undressed and I thought I heard him chuckle. He was done after a few minutes and gave me a light shove in the back to announce his presence.

"So, how about it? Should we get another mission? We're running low on food money," he stated.

"No way. You can't fight in this condition," I stated sternly as we walked down the front steps. "Besides, I'll be cooking for a while, so we don't have to worry about ordering last minute take-out after you blow up the kitchen."

"That's over exaggerating it," Soul grumbled. "And the one time it actually happened, it's 'cause Blair decided to speed up the cooking."

"Yeah, I know," I giggled. "Because cool guys never scorch their dinners."

"Exactly."

When we finally got up to our apartment, Soul crashed on the couch with a yawn. "Man, finally home!"

"Want some cake? I got it yesterday from the store."

He smiled and stood up. "I've got a better idea. Come on."

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me out the door and down the stairs.

"Soul, where are we going?" I asked, blushing slightly since he was still holding my hand.

"You'll see. In fact, I think you'll figure it out," he answered, flashing me a smile.

It took me a while, but I finally figured out where we were going. Soul was taking me to the bakery where we'd first become partners. I couldn't help but smile at the idea. He always knew what to do to make me happy when he really wanted to.

We went in and ordered; Soul got a plain chocolate cake while I got a fruit cake. Grinning, he told him to put it under Soul Evans' tab.

We took a seat by the window and Soul gazed into my eyes. "Y'know, I pledged my life to you here. When we became partners. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. I know," I replied. "Soul... Why did you ask me to be your partner?"

He thought about it for a second before shrugging. "It was something about the determined look in your eye. I knew I'd become a Deathscythe with you as my Meister, since you were so set on making one stronger than your father. So I figured there'd be no one better to team up with."

I nodded as the waiter brought our food over. "Well, thank you. There was no one better for me to team up with either."

"I don't think a lot of other people could handle you."

"You're saying it like I'm Black Star," I sighed. "With him, there's literally only Tsubaki."

"True. He's one hell of a strong Meister though. You gotta admit that much. I wonder if they can finally catch up on the soul collecting now that they've gotten extra training."

"Who knows? They just might pull it off," I smiled.

We sat there and talked for about another hour, when Soul checked his phone and frowned.

"We should probably get home. I've got to change," he said, getting up.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about the party. Kid rented out the buffet, all the food included," I laughed. "I think he might have gone overboard, but with you and Black Star there..."

I trailed off when I saw a guilty look cross his face. "What is it, Soul?"

"Well, I'm not going. Angel invited me over for dinner tonight," he told me. "Tell them I'm sorry I'm missing it. You're invited, too if you want to come."

He could have just called her an cancelled. It wasn't like Soul to miss a cool get-together like this.

"Oh. That's alright, I'll make sure to tell everyone," I smiled. "I'm gonna go over to Tsubaki's place, so I'll see you later. Don't wait up!"

I turned and jogged down the steer towards Black Star and Tsubaki's new apartment. Her family had given them a bit of money, so they could afford a bigger place now.

Knocking on the door, I tried to ignore to churning feeling I felt in my stomach.

_I'm not jealous. It doesn't hurt. I will be happy for him _

After a few seconds, Tsubaki opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see me. "Hey, Maka. How's it going?"

"Hi. I was wondering if you'd want to hang out before the party," I said. "I'll help you unpack, if you want."

"Oh, no, I couldn't bother you with that," she said, letting me inside. "Besides, we're practically almost done."

"Hiya, Maka!" waved Black Star as he continued doing one-handed push ups.

"Hey. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I said, looking around. Tsubaki wasn't bluffing. Most of their stuff had already been unpacked, but it wasn't like these two are hoarders of any sort. It was pretty much the opposite for them. I guess it was an assassin thing; to be able to disappear at any given time.

"Nah, it's okay," said Black Star. "Where's Soul"

"He's going to dinner at Angel's house," i stated blandly. "So he won't be joining us tonight."

"How lame," Black Star grimaced. "Are they dating or something?"

I looked down as Tsubaki hit him in the head with a katana sheath.  
"Of course not," she scolded him. "Why would you even say that?"

"Jeez, sorry. It just seemed like it," the boy mumbled, rubbing the side of his skull.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" I sighed, sitting down on the ground.

"Maka, don't talk like that! There's no way Soul would choose her over you," Tsubaki insisted.

"He might if he didn't know she liked him," Black Star pointed out. "Just sayin'."

"Black Star, I think you need to stop talking for a sec, okay? You're drenched in sweat. Go take a shower and get changed for dinner, alright?" Tsubaki smiled.

Waving a hand in the air, he retreated down the hall to his room wordlessly.

"Don't take anything he says to heart, Maka," Tsubaki told me gently after Black Star was gone. "He doesn't have a clue when it comes to this sort of thing, really."

"Yeah, but he is Soul's best friend. If anyone knows my partner as well as I do, or even better, it's Black Star."

"You could ask him to subtly find out if Soul likes you," she suggested.

"No... I don't want to risk a misunderstanding," I replied.

"Then, why don't you ask him yourself?"

Because I was scared of the answer.

"Would you like anything to drink?" she asked when I didn't answer. I shook my head.

"I just ate. So, about you and Black Star getting married..."

"No! I told you that was a joke..." she cried, blushing. "We don't have that kind of relationship."

"True, but who else could handle him?" I giggled.

"Probably no one outside of our team," she answered with a smile. "Oh, no. Don't tell me you've all been betting on us getting together, too."

I laughed and shook my head. "We don't have to bet. We all _know_."

After a bit, Black Star came out dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a star on it. Going straight to the fridge, he face-palmed when he realized it was empty.

"We seriously have to go food shopping soon," he complained as he headed for the door. "It's time to go meet Kid now right? So let's roll."

"You and Maka go ahead," said Tsubaki. "I have to get changed and take a quick bath. I'll meet you guys at the party."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" I asked.

"No, no. I don't want you guys to miss out on any of the fun! Go on ahead without me," she insisted.

"You heard her. Let's go, Maka!"

Sighing, I followed Black Star out the door and headed down the street towards the biggest buffet in town.

"Stop looking so bummed," said Black Star. "We're going to a party, not a funeral."

"Sorry, Black Star," I mumbled. "I just honestly can't smile right now."

"Okay. I didn't think it'd have to come to this," he stated, coming to a stop with a serious look on his face.

"Come to what?" I asked, giving him a suspicious look.

A devious grin spreading across his face, he reached over and tickled me.

"Black Star, quit it," I gasped through bursts of laughter. "St..stop. Oh my gosh!"

He laughed as I grabbed his hands and tackled him to the ground.  
"You are so dead!" I growled.

"Hey, guys."

Looking up, we saw Soul striding towards us dressed in a white button down shirt and black slacks. His hair was gelled down and for once, he didn't have his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"What are you two doing down there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

We both instantly sprung to our feet, blushing slightly at the thought of what that must have looked like to someone else.

"He tickled me, so I tackled him," I responded, avoiding Soul's gaze.

"Dude, are you seriously not coming to the party?" asked Black Star. "It's an all-you-can-eat deal!"

"Nah, I promised Angel I'd go over to her place, man," Soul answered.

But was he going to her house, or to a five star hotel for dinner?

"Whatever. You'll be missing out big time," shrugged Black Star. "Let's go, Maka. The sooner we get there, the more food there'll be for us!"

"Have a nice dinner," I said as I gave Soul one last glance before running down the street after Black Star.

There was an aching sensation at the back of my stomach, but I tried to ignore it and focus on keeping up with Black Star, who seemed to think this was the Olympics or something.

By the time we actually got to the buffet, I was out of breath and surprisingly hungry.

"Hey, you two!" Liz greeted us at the entrance. "Where are Soul and Tsubaki."

"Tsubaki is still getting ready," I replied.  
"And Soul's being dumb," Black Star added. "I mean, what smart person would pass up an all-you-can-eat buffet that you don't even have to pay for to go on a date?"

He bound pass Liz into the building and I sighed, looking at the ground.

"What? A date with who?" Liz asked me. "What's going on here?"

"You know that girl Angel from our class?" I asked. "She invited him to dinner at her house to celebrate his recovery."

"Are you serious? How come I never heard about this? Soul and Angel..." she mused, a hand on her chin.

I strode pass her before she could say anything else and found an open table to sit at. Kid came up to me a few minutes later, his eyes roaming as if searching for someone.

"If you're looking for Soul, he won't be coming," I stated.

"Not coming? Is he alright?" asked the reaper worriedly.

"He's just fine," I grumbled. "He just got invited to dinner by a pretty girl, that's all."

"It's her, isn't it?"

I wordlessly nodded before getting up. "Well, it's a buffet. I should probably go get something to eat before Black Star downs it all."

Kid chuckled but stepped out of my way.

Making a beeline for the salad bar, I got myself a small plate of vegetables and put a little light Italian on top before settling down at a booth for two and eating. There was music pounding from unseen speakers and I couldn't help but think of how we would all be begging Soul to DJ since he's known for his musicality. I wondered what he was doing right now, but I shook my head before I could think up any scenarios. I was here to enjoy a party and socialize. I shouldn't be depressing myself by thinking up worst case scenarios.

After finishing my salad, I walked around and socialized with a few people. Kid had even invited our extended team, which included Kim and Jaclyn, along with Ox and a few others from our class. Basically, the strongest students in class Crescent Moon were pretty much all gathered here, except for Soul.

"Hey, Maka," Jaclyn smiled warmly as she walked up behind me. "Where's Soul?"

I put on my best poker face and answered, "He's with Angel."

"What? Really?" She seemed pretty surprised at that.

"Why?"

"Oh. It's just that I hardly see you two apart, so I was just wondering where he was."

Now that she said it, I realized how much Soul and I were together. Guess that'll be changing from now on.

"That's just because he's my Weapon and it's a smart idea to be ready for a fight anytime, right?" I said, forcing a big smile. "Especially when people love challenging the EAT class students to see if they can up their reputation."

She nodded before Kim waved at her to go over and dance.

"Talk to you later," said Jaclyn as she joined her partner on the dance floor.

"You aren't going to dance?" asked Kid, making me jump.

"I couldn't dance if my life depended on it," I giggled.

"I never would have guessed. I've seen you dance a few times before."

"Yeah, but that was when Soul was leading," I sighed. "And it was slow dancing. I don't know how to do this sort of dance."

"Just do whatever," said Patty as she wiggled onto the dance floor and moved her body to the music.

I spotted Black Star at the bar, downing a few drinks and decided to go join him.

"Hand me a shot," I said, sitting down on the stool next to his.

"You drink?" Black Star asked, looking surprised.

"No. This is my first time," I replied.

"Okay... You sure you don't want to start with something a little lighter than tequila?"

I shook my head and reached over, taking a shot glass from in front of him. "Go hard or go home."

"Whatever you say," he shrugged.

I'd downed about five shots within less than three minutes, and my vision was starting to get blurry.

"Maka, maybe you should slow down," Black Star suggested, staring at me with widened eyes.

"No way," I slurred. "I got this. I am not drunk."

"You sure sound like it," he stated. "Take a break."

I snatched another shot glass and downed it before he could stop me. "Nah. This is way fun. Papa, I'm so sorry I call you stupid for drinking. Ha..."

Reaching for another glass, I felt someone grab my wrist and looked up to see Black Star looking intently into my eyes. "Maka. That's enough. You're wasted."

"Aw, c'mon. One more glass?" I begged.

"No way. Come on, I gotta get you home," he stated, pulling me towards the door.

"Nooooo! I don't want to go home! I don't want to," I slurred. "I don't...want to see Soul."

His face expressionless, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me out the door, despite my many protests and all the stares we were getting.  
"Let me down! Black Star! I can't go back. I don't want to see him!"

"You'll have to see him eventually," said Black Star in a flat voice. "He _is_ your Weapon partner, Maka."

"If he loves Angel so much, he should just go be _her _partner. Who needs him? He's annoying and selfish and..." I tried to stop myself from blabbering any further, but my mouth just kept running itself. Stupid mouth...

Luckily, Black Star turned a deaf ear to my nonsense and kept walking in silence. Sometimes he wasn't so bad.

"Hey. Black Star." I poked him in the back until I got his attention. "This isn't comfy. Give me a piggy back ride."

"Say what?"

"Let me ride on your back. That's more fun."

He sighed and put me down before kneeling onto the ground. "Fine. Get on."

Smiling, I jumped on his back like a little kid and he got up and continued walking.

Snuggling my face into his shoulder, I enjoyed the rest of the walk back home. My arms were hanging over his shoulders and I could feel how toned his chest was. Huh. I never noticed. But I guess that made sense, considering all the working out he does.

"Do you think Angel's prettier than me?" I blurted, on the edge of blacking out.

There was a long pause, and for a minute, I thought he hadn't heard me.

"No. Not in a million years," he said in a low voice that I could barely hear.

I smiled faintly and put my head back down on his shoulder. "Thanks. You're nice."

The rest of the walk was pretty quiet until he asked me to unlock our apartment door. So, I handed Black Star the key and told him to let himself in.

He finally set me gently down on the couch and put my key down on the coffee table before turning to leave. I reached up and grabbed his hand before he could get out of reach.

"Don't leave. I don't want to be here alone," I whispered. "At least...stay till I fall asleep?"

He sighed and sat down next to me, switching on the TV that me and Soul barely used. "Okay. Sure."

I placed my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, letting myself drift into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Soul_**

Is it uncool that I was thinking of Maka and Black Star most of the time I was at Angel's house?

I didn't doubt what Maka told me was true, and they were just joking around, but I can't get that image out of my head. If I hadn't cut in, what would've happened?

When I'd gotten to the address Angel had given me, I did a double take. The girl was freaking rich, her house almost as big as Gallows Mansion where Kid, Liz, and Patty lived, except it wasn't really perfectly symmetrical like Kid's.

The gates swung open before I even rang the doorbell, reminding me of those horror movies Black Star and I watched to make fun of.

Shrugging, I walked in, following the long driveway up to the front door. I could tell that it was made of dark oak, which must have cost a fortune. Who exactly was she?

I reached over, ringing the doorbell twice. Angel pulled open the door a few seconds later, wearing a light blue dress that complimented her eyes, which lit up when they saw me. Crap...

"Hey. Nice dress," I commented as she gestured for me to come in.

"Thanks. It took me a while to pick out," she blushed as she led me down the hallway to the dining room.

That made two of us. I had to dig through all my old stuff to find this getup.  
"So, you live here with just your dad?"

"Yes. It gets kind of lonely sometimes," she said, her eyes turning sad. "He's pretty much always traveling and we don't even talk that much when he's here."

Her dad was the one who'd wanted me to come here. Somehow they'd found out that I was Soul Evans and he'd asked me to come to dinner as soon as I'd gotten out of the infirmary. I'd only asked Maka to come because I knew she'd say no.

"Thank you for coming," Angel said, her soft gaze meeting mine. "I hope this didn't get in the way of any plans you'd already made."

"Nah, it's cool." Even as I said it, I thought back to the disappointment in Maka's eyes when I'd told her I couldn't go with her to the party. Man, why'd I have to get myself involved in this? It wasn't like I was even apart of the Evans family anymore, anyway.

"This way. I finished making dinner just a little while ago so the food's still hot," smiled Angel as she pushed open a set of doors leading into a large dining room with a glass chandelier and a table big enough for ten.

At the head of the table sat a man I recognized from some of the parties I used to go to with my family. He owned almost as many businesses as my family did, and they were practically equally as rich. Simon Krane.

"Ah, Soul Evans," he said, smiling widely when I walked in. "I was shocked when I'd heard you disappeared from home, but who would have thought you'd end up in the same city as my daughter?"

I took the seat to his right and Angel sat across from me on his left.  
"Well, I go to the Academy now, sir," I told him in that voice I was used to using when it came to associates of my family.

"A Meister? You've got some talent, boy," Simon laughed.

"Actually, father, Soul's a Weapon," Angel cut in.

"Really? That's even better? Why don't you team up with my Angel? Apparently she's weaponless now."

Angel looked down at her lap, her face unreadable. Did she tell him Ariana died?

"Actually, I already have a Meister, sir," I said, calmly.

"I see, I see," mused the man, taking a sip of wine from the glass in front of him. "Well, have you ever thought about dating Angel?"

"Father!" Angel protested, her eyes wide.

"What? Man to man, son, have you ever thought of dating my daughter?"

This wasn't looking very good.  
"No, sir. I'd like to focus on my schoolwork and graduating from the Academy before looking into dating."

Lie. Absolute total bs _lie_. If it was Maka... If she asked me, I'd say yes in less than a heartbeat.

"Ah, well, she's a wonderful student. I'm sure she could help you with your academics as you got to know each other."

"Father, please stop..." Angel pleaded.

"Well..." I said, pretending to think about it.

They both turned to me expectantly and I immediately regretted making a sound. Crap. Crap, crap, crap.

"If our two families came together, the benefits would be priceless," Simon continued. "Two of the richest industries in the States. You know how amazing that would be?"

_Oh. Gotcha. So this was about the money.  
_Even if I didn't especially like my family, I couldn't embarrass them. If I made enemies with this guy, things could get ugly real fast, and that wouldn't be cool.

"I'd have to run it by my parents first," I tried.

"Nonsense. We've already met them on countless occasions and they're absolutely taken with Angel," Simon boasted. "No rush, though. Give dating a shot and then we can talk about marriage, yes?"

_Well, this was going downhill... Dammit! _

"Soul?" Angel asked, giving me a questioning look. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Honestly."

The look in her father's eyes said something completely different. This situation was the opposite of cool. Someone, please shoot me. I'd even let Crona cut me open with his damn sword again instead of being stuck in the middle of this.

"Give it a month," Simon announced. "What harm could that do? If your grades begin dropping, we can revisit the matter. Sound alright?"

Shit. Shit! What the hell was I supposed to do? I kind of wish Maka was here with me. No, I _really_ wished Maka was here. She'd have a plan to get us out.

Before I could say a word, Simon raised a toast. "To Soul and Angel, the future of our families!"

Angel, blushing madly, raised her glass as well. Forcing a small smile, I did the same.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I got a girlfriend without asking anyone out. Ever.

When the dinner was finally over, Angel walked me to the front door, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I'm sorry about what happened back there. I mean at the beginning of dinner. I asked him to be subtle about it if he had to ask you, but..."

"It wasn't your fault," I told her. It was my own damn fault for walking right into this. "Besides, it's cool. Dating you, I mean."

Her eyes lit up again as she threw her arms around me. Reluctantly, I hugged her back, mentally beating the crap out of my brain for not being able to come up with an excuse back there.

"Thank you, Soul," she whispered, kissing me softly on the cheek. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, alright? And I'll bring you lunch, too! Anything you want."

"Whatever's fine," I said, backing out the door. "See you tomorrow."

Once I got outside of the front gates, I checked my phone to see a text from Black Star. Looking at the time, I realized it was getting really late and broke into a run. Hopefully, I'd get home before Maka.

Panting, I fumbled with my keys, unlocking the door and pushing it open pretty roughly in my hurry to get inside. What I saw proved my theory. Tonight was _definitely_ the opposite of cool.

Maka was curled up on the couch, her head resting on Black Star's shoulder as she breathed deeply.

"What?" The only word I managed to get out.

Black Star held up a finger and gently got up, laying Maka down and lifting her legs up onto the couch before walking over to me.

"Guess she got pretty bored without you there. She's completely wasted, dude," he stated.

"Maka doesn't drink," I told him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," said Black Star. "Till after she downed six shots in less than five minutes. After that, I carried her back here."

I shook my head as I walked over to Maka. "Thanks, man. Really. I owe you."

There was a moment of silence and I turned around, thinking he'd left.

"No. You don't owe me. But I think you owe it to her to be there for her," he stated. "You _are_ her Weapon partner."

Without waiting for a response, he swung out the window, leaving me alone with Maka.

I knelt down next to the couch and softly brushed her hair out of her face. She truly was beautiful, especially right now when she looked so serene and peaceful. She stirred in her sleep and I instinctively jumped a little as she mumbled something I couldn't understand, my eyes widening when I saw a tear roll down her cheek. What could she be dreaming about that was making her cry.

"Soul, please..." she whispered, the tears coming out even faster. "Don't...go."

I gently wiped the tears away with a tissue as her eyes flashed open and she stared at me for a few seconds as if trying to process what was happening.

"I'm not going anywhere," I told her softly. "Bad dream?"

Her eyes were downcast as she avoided my gaze. "Yeah... The worst."

"Go back to sleep, alright? I'm right here."

She nodded drowsily and closed her eyes again, drifting off to sleep.

Standing up, I went and grabbed a blanket from her room and draped it over her body before going and taking a shower, changing into shorts and a t-shirt before calling it a night. A pretty bad night, at that.

I'd pissed Maka off, I'd unwillingly gotten myself a girlfriend, and I wasn't there for Maka when she needed me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to go to sleep. I'd have an early morning tomorrow.

My alarm woke me up around six and, as much as I wanted to smash the damn clock and go back to sleep, I dragged myself out if bed and went to brush my teeth. I didn't even bother to do anything with my hair; just gave it a good shake before heading into the kitchen and starting breakfast.

Maka was still fast asleep on the couch as I went about making the only thing I _could_ make without "blowing up the kitchen": Pancakes.

A few minutes after I'd finished making them, Maka stirred in her sleep and slowly sat up.

"My head hurts," she groaned as she folded her legs and sat criss-cross.

"It's called a hangover," I told her. "It happens when you drink a lot then pass out."

She avoided my gaze and got to her feet. "Oh. Hey, Soul."

I decided not to get on her bad side first thing in the morning, so I kept my mouth shut about the grimness and handed her a plate of pancakes. "Here. Eat up."

She looked down at them and slowly took the plate from my hands. "Thanks."

She walked over and sat down at the table, a pancake between her teeth as she poured herself a cup of orange juice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I warned as she lifted the glass to her lips.

"Why? Is it expired or something?"

"No, it's just not a good idea."

She stuck her tongue out at me before taking a sip and practically doing a spit take as soon as she tasted it. "Oh my Shinigami!" she coughed.

"Yeah. Orange juice and tequila don't mix too well," I stated, taking tje glass from her hand and dumping it in the sink. "What got into you? I thought you always said you would never drink for fun."

She nibbled on amother pancake, thinking about it for a second before stepping to the side and walking pass me without answering.

"Hey, wait a second!" I protested irritably.

"I have to get ready or we'll be late for school, dummy," she said.

"You could at least answer my question first!"

She smiled, but it wasn't her usual sincere smile. It looked a little sarcastic, to be honest. "Last time I checked, I don't owe you anything."

I blinked, still shocked as she disappeared into the bathroom and the shower began running.

What the heck has gotten into her? Even for Maka, this was pretty weird. I wish she'd just fucking talk to me about it. Was I really that unapproachable to her? Man, this was just a huge mess. How was I supposed to tell her that I was dating Angel now? How would she react? I wondered if she'd even care.

There was always the possiblity that she didn't give a crap. I mean, last night with Black Star... He never showe any interest in her before. They barely got along without tearing at each orher's throats every two minutes, but that idiot might like her without even knowing it.

Stumped, I leaned against the counter, softly drumming my fingers on it as I waited for Maka to finish getting ready.

About twenty minutes later, she came out dressed in black slashed jeans, a black t-shirt, and combat boots; her hakr tied back in a ponytail and her bangs swept to one side.

"So you're sticking with that look?" I asked as we walked out the door together.

"I thought you said you liked it," she replied. "Besides, I came home kins of drunk last night, so I still didn't do my laundry."

I nodded and she gave me a weird look.

"Soul. One thing. Don't tell my dad about last night," she pleaded. "Please?"

"If I told him, he'd slice me into pieces on the spot," I pointed out. "And Stein would probably help him."

She looked at the ground and silently nodded.

"Look, Maka, about the dinner last night..."

"I hope you had fun," she said bleakly. "Was it good?"

"Yeah. Delicious, but the there's something that I have to..." Before I could finish, Kid rode up beside us on his skateboard, giving Maka a small wave.

"Hey, what happened to you last night? I saw Black Star carry you out and you two never came back," he said. "Did something happen?"

"I just had a little too much to drink, that's all," Maka replied with a smile.

"I see." He turned to me with a slightly bitter look in his eyes. "How was dinner?"

"It was cool," I shrugged. "Sorry I missed the party."

"You don't have to apologize to me," he replied, looking pointedly at Maka. "I'll see you both in class, then."

He shot the rest of the way up the front steps and into the Academy, leaving me alone with Maka again.

Before I could say anything to her, I heard Angel's voice call out from behind us.

"Soul! Good morning," she smiled warmly, greeting me with a gentle hug. "And good morning, Maka."

"Morning," my Meister said grimly. "So, is it official yet?"

"Well, yes. As of last night," Angel said before I could say anything.

"Oh." I watched as Maka broke into a smile and gave Angel a little huge. "Congratulations! You guys... You guys make a great couple. I'll see you in class. I have to go talk to Kid about some extra credit we're going to be doing."

She ran up the stairs before I could stop her and I could see Angel smiling beside me.

"Oh, good," she sighed. "I thought she hated me..."

"We should head up to class," I said after a few seconds of silence.

I led the way up the steps, Angel following in silence. She must have sensed something wrong, and a part of me felt like shit for leading her on and agreeing to date her. But most of me felt even worse for not telling Maka how I felt before it was too late.

After a few more minutes of walking, we entered class Crescent Moon and my eyes instinctively roamed the classroom, searching for my Meister. Oddly, she wasn't anywhere to be found, and neither was Black Star.

"Soul, how about sitting next to me today?" asked Angel. "If you're okay with it."

I nodded and followed her up to a seat near the back. I could feel Kid's gaze on my back as well as Liz and Tsubaki's, but I couldn't bring myself to turn around. It felt like all my friends were suddenly against me for some reason.

What in hell did I get myself into?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Maka**_

"Maka, stop crying, would you? It's not like you."

I glanced up and saw Black Star perched on a tree branch above me. I hadn't even noticed him there.

Wiping my tears away, I glared at him. "Well, sneaking up on people isn't like you."

"I know, right? It's hard not to notice a big star like me!" grinned the assassin, dropping down and sitting next to me. "But I've been working on some stuff over at Tsubaki's place."

I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest. "How was her family?"

"They were cool, but they're hard as hell when it comes to training."

There was something a lot more mellow about the usually boisterous Black Star. I actually felt like I could hold an actual conversation with him for more than two minutes without him going off about how big a man he was. It was nice.

"You gonna tell me who I have to beat up? Or do I have to stalk you and find out?" he asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

"You don't have to beat anyone up," I muttered. How could I ask him to beat up his best friend? Did I even want to hurt Soul?

"Right then. So what's wrong?"

"I should ask what's wrong with you? Did the Nakatsukasas brainwash you or something?"

He chuckled and put his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the tree trunk. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well... It's about Soul," I said softly.

There was a moment of silence between us and the only sound was the leaves rustling in the wind.

"Oh. I guess I owe Liz five bucks then," Black Star stated lightly. "What? Do you like him or something?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

"Did you tell him?"

"No. How could I? He likes Angel..."

Black Star sighed and turned to look me in the eye. "That idiot is even more dense than he looks so unless you come right out and say it, chances are, he'll never know."

"It doesn't matter. It's not like he likes me back in that way..."

"What happened to the Maka who took down the Kishin with one punch? I thought you were all about bravery." Black Star held my gaze for what seemed like the longest time, and I could see that he actually had changed.

I couldn't help but burst into giggles as I covered my mouth with both hands.

"What'd I say?" he demanded.

"Nothing," I laughed. "I just never thought I'd be getting this sort of advice from you, Black Star."

"Well, I've got to keep my fans on their toes," he beamed, jumping to his feet. Extending a hand, he have me his signature toothy grin. "So, how about you pay me back with a meal?"

Taking his hand, I let him pull me to my feet. "That aspect of you might never change."

We made our way into town and went to Black Star's favorite burger place. He gave me a disgusted look when I ordered a salad, but cracked a smile. "Guess you haven't stopped being a health freak yet."

"A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body," I recited. It was the same thing I told Soul every time he dragged me to a fast food place.

"Sure, whatever," he shrugged, scarfing down the first of the three burgers he'd ordered. "You sure you don't want a bite, Maka?" he asked, waving a burger in front of me. "It's really good."

Groaning, I rolled my eyes and held out my hand. "Fine. One bite."

"Okay, then open up."

"Just give me the burger."

"Nope. It's more fun if you're fed. So open up."

"I'm not five, Black Star." Still, when he had that determined look, there was nothing that could stop him.

So I reluctantly opened up and took a bite of the burger. I'd forgotten how awesome this stuff could taste.

I saw the door open out of the corner of my eye and Soul and Angel walked in. Immediately, I lost my appetite.

"What's up?" asked Black Star. "Something wrong?"

"No. It's fine," I replied, looking away and hoping they hadn't spotted us. I had no such luck.

"Maka, it's a surprise seeing you here," said a familiar voice. Angel's voice.

Grimacing, I shrugged. "Black Star asked me to come with him."

"How goes it bro?" grinned Soul, fist bumping his friend as the two sat down at our table. "Haven't talked to you in a while."

"Well, you could've if you came to the buffet with us," Black Star pointed out, pulling out a piece of paper.. "But here, have my autograph to make up for it."

"Black Star, I'll see you later," I said, getting up. "I'm not really hungry so I think I'll go to the library."

I walked out the door before any of them could say a word, storming down the street towards the Academy.

I sensed a familiar soul coming up behind me, and at first I thought it was Black Star, but I knew this wavelength all too well.

"What do you want, Soul?" I demanded, spinning around to face him.

"I want to know what your deal is," he answered, stopping a few feet away from me. "You've been acting weird for the past week."

"I don't have a deal," I snapped.

"As you put it, once upon a time, you can talk to me if something's bothering you," he stated in a mocking tone.

"And I distinctly remembering you responding with. I would tell you, but there's nothing wrong," I told him.

He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Angel coming out of the restaurant with two ice cream cones in hand. "I got the ice cream!" she called, heading towards us.

"Your angel awaits," I muttered as I turned and walked away. That idiot. He could never take the slightest hint, could he?

Making my way up the steps, I couldn't help but wanting to punch myself in the face for how I'd reacted. Black Star's words floated around in my head. "That idiot is even more dense than he looks, so unless you come right out and say it, chances are, he'll never know."

That was easier said than done. For some reason, fighting Kishins was a lot easier than dealing with boy problems for me.

I headed straight down to Professor Stein's office and knocked on the door, opening it after hearing a faint "come in".

The room was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. There was a desk and a computer whose monitor was omitting a light blue glow. Professor Stein was by the window, smoking a cigarette.

"Oh, Maka. Did you need something?"

"I think I'm ready for a solo mission," I heard myself say as I stepped into the office. "Do you have any assignments available, professor?"

After I discovered the weapon part of me, I'd started training to harness it with Stein. It was just for self defense and extra power in case something happened to Soul.

"Are you sure you're ready for something like this, Maka?" Stein asked, looking at me intently through his spectacles.

"Yes, sir. I'd like to test my own strength. I know I can do this," I replied despite my brain doubting the truth in that last statement.

Nodding, he walked over to his computer and typed in a few things before pulling up a spread sheet and tracing his finger down the monitor stopping about halfway down. "In that case, why don't you take this one in Seattle? You can leave tonight."

"That works," I told him, my voice coming out robotic.

"There's only that one Kishin egg in the Seattle area, so you should be able to locate it easily enough using your soul perception. However, I'll still send you an email with further details, okay?"

I nodded. "Thank you, professor."

"Don't mention it. Be smart, Maka. If you can't handle it..."

I shook my head, backing out the door. "I know I can do this. You don't have to worry."

I pulled the door closed before he could say anything further to change my mind or make me break down.

Not bothering to go home, I went straight to Black Star and Tsubaki's apartment and knocked on the door. Tsubaki opened the door with a smile.

"Maka! Hello," she said with her usual close-eyed smile. "Black Star's not back yet, but would you like to come in for some tea?"

I thought about it for a second. Tea wouldn't hurt. "Sure, that sounds great."

She led the way inside and started brewing some tea. "So how are things? Did you and Black Star really go on a date?"

I gaped at her, dumbfounded. "Where did you hear that?"

"Liz and Patty called and said they saw the two of you together in town," Tsubaki replied, her eyes twinkling.

"We just went to get lunch together," I stated. "To catch up and stuff..."

"Sounds like a date to me," Tsubaki giggled, pouring us both tea before sitting down on the floor across from me.

"Tsubaki, it's not like that," I insisted.

"You still like Soul, don't you?" she questioned, her tone becoming serious.

"Yeah... I never stopped," I told her, my voice shaking slightly. "This whole time, I... And now..." I trailed off, afraid that the tears would overflow if I kept going.

"Have you ever told him how you feel?" Tsubaki asked gently.

"No. I guess i just never figured out how to," I replied, sipping my tea. "And I was always too...too scared to."

"It's okay to be afraid," she stated, meeting my gaze. "But you of all people should know about bravery."

"You and Black Star really have rubbed off on each other," I commented with a weak smile.

"Well, I try to pick up on his good qualities."

"Thanks, Tsubaki," I smiled, getting to my feet. "I really have to go, though. I was wondering if I could borrow Black Star's jeep."

"What for?" asked Black Star, swinging in through the open window.

"I thought I'd go to Seattle and take my mind off of things," I replied honestly.

"Sure, but why Seattle?" he pressed, digging through the fridge and frowning when he came up empty handed.

"It's pretty quiet there. And it's by the ocean."

He plucked his keys off the top of the fridge and tossed them over to me. "Knock yourself out."

"Thank you," I beamed as the two of them waved goodbye to me. "I owe you guys one."

"Just be happy," Tsubaki told me. "That's all we want."

I looked at Black Star and he gave me a shrug. "I don't really need anything, so let's go with what she said."

I smiled even wider and thanked them one last time before heading outside to where Black Star's Jeep was parked. Swinging my body inside, I stuck the key in and started the ignition. There was no going back now, Maka. You have to do this.

I backed out of the driveway and hit the gas, driving through Death City. I caught a glimpse of Soul walking downtown with Angel and felt my stomach churning. Pressing down the pedal a bit further, I drove pass them and saw Soul look my way for a split second before answering a question from Angel.

Within minutes, I'd cleared the confines of Death City and was driving through the open desert, alone with my thoughts. At this rate, I didn't think I'd need any of Medusa's black blood to completely descend into madness.

I finally reached Seattle after a few hours of driving and I parked in a parking garage before getting out and walking into the heart of the city. By then, it was around ten at night and the city had gotten relatively quiet. There was a rather eerie feeling as I walked through the usually bustling streets of Seattle. It was probably from all the attacks. I hadn't checked the email for the details, but if Stein thought I could handle it, I'd be fine.

Closing my eyes, I reached out with my Soul Perception and tried to locate the Kishin egg. It wasn't too far away and I could get there on foot. It hadn't found any prey yet, fortunately, so I wouldn't have to waste energy on sprinting.

Wounding my way through the dimly lit backstreets, I made my way towards the Kishin. From what I could tell, it was headed in my direction as well.

I tried to loosen up my body like Professor Stein had taught me, picturing myself as a weapon instead of a Meister. With every step, my test was getting closer and my certainty was wavering further and further. But I was determined to prove that I didn't need Soul to protect me all the time. I could look after myself.

6 yards... 3 yards... 2 yards...

It sensed me at the same time I saw it. This one was pretty far gone, judging from the hatred and malice in his soul. It sent shivers down my spine, and usually I'd have Soul here to comfort me. But I'd have to do it on my own.

"In the name of Lord Death, I must purge this evil," I whispered ceremoniously to myself as I extended my hand into a blade. "I won't let you become a Kishin!"

As I finished the sentence, the Kishin lunged at me, claws out and red eyes glowing in the darkness. I dodged two of its attacks, blocked one with my arm and swept my leg out, transforming it into a blade as it came in contact with the Kishin's rib cage. It leapt back, barely phased by the gash I'd just made and raked its claws across the skin on my left forearm before I could harden it into a blade. I tried my best to ignore the pain, as well as the blood that was oozing out of the four gashes its claws had made across my skin. I deflected another blow and sprung off its arm, doing a somersault midair and bringing my arm in blade form down, splitting the Kishin's skull right down the middle. Its body disintegrated, leaving a red soul hovering in the air. I smiled at my victory and my first thought was to take the soul back for Soul Eater, but I shook my head, mentally pinching myself for even considering that.

Instead, I reached out and plucked the soul out of the air, reluctantly lifting it to my mouth. If Tsubaki could do it, so could I. Gulping, I stuck the soul into my mouth, chewing it a few times before swallowing it. Soul was right. They felt good going down.

If I drove back now, I could make it back before daybreak and attend class.

I jogged back to the Jeep and started the ignition, only noticing the gashes in my arm when I put my hands on the steering wheel.

"Well, at least I got a souvenir from Seattle," I said to myself as I started the long drive back to Death City.

The rain was drumming loudly on the roof of the car as I drove back towards Death City.

I was half asleep on the last half of the drive back, so I thought it must have been my imagination when I heard a loud thud on the roof. By the time I picked up on the soul, it'd already implanted its claws into the roof.

Swerving a hard left in an attempt to shake the Kishin off, I hit the brakes and stopped the car.

I kicked into combat mode and turned my hands into blades as I ran at the Kishin, knocking it off the roof of the Jeep with a swift kick and ducking to avoid its sharp claws. I aimed my blades for its heart and dove off the roof, but it moved out of the way before I reached the ground. The fact that it was raining and the ground was slippery didn't help matters very much. It just made me lose my footing and land on my back.

The wind was knocked out of me and I barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid getting my head sliced off. I felt a burning sensation shoot through my shoulder, though, telling me that it had grazed some skin.

Getting back on my feet, I blocked two of its attacks, but the third sent me skidding backwards. I let my guard down for a split second to catch my balance on the slippery ground, and the Kishin took that instant to go right for my throat.

"Hey, that's my friend you're messing with, you bastard," seethed a familiar voice in the darkness.

The Kishin whirled around too late and it was sent flying with a punch from Black Star.

"Maka, you okay?" he asked, glancing over at me.

I nodded and he cracked his knuckles, turning his sights back on the enemy. "Then just sit back and let ol' Black Star take care of this one."

In a flash, he'd closed the distance between him and the Kishin and hit him with a shot of his compressed Soul Wavelength followed by a punch in the rib cage, which was followed by a grotesque snapping sound. Before it could react, Black Star hit him with a two-handed shot of his Soul Wavelength and sent it flying backwards.

After a few more minutes of Black Star beating on it, he finally motioned for me to walk over to them.

"It doesn't look like this thing's gonna die if we don't stick something sharp through it," he informed me.

I grimly positioned my hand above its neck and extended it into a blade, easily cutting off the Kishin's head.

The body disintegrated, leaving a glowing red soul hovering in the air.

I looked at Black Star for a second and he put a disgusted expression on his face. "Well, I'm not gonna eat it."

I wordlessly plucked it out of the air and stuck it in my mouth, feeling the smooth sensation of it sliding down my throat.

"You're going to get sick if you just stand in a downpour like this," Black Star stated, pulling open the door to the drover's seat of his Jeep. "I'll drive."

I slipped into the shotgun seat and buckled up before finding my voice to speak. "How did you get out here?"

"What are you talking about? I ran," he replied, starting the car and hitting the gas. "Lucky you were pretty close by."

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thanks for saving me."

"Don't even mention it, Maka," the assassin grinned. "I've always got your back."

There was a part of me that wished Soul had come instead, riding on his motorcycle through the rain and...

And what? Getting hurt for you again? Dammit, Maka.

"Do you want me to drop you off at home, or you want to go see Stein about your arms?" asked Black Star as we entered Death City a while later.

"Just take me home. They're just scratches, so I can just bandage them up myself."

Nodding, he turned onto my street and stopped in front of my apartment compound. The light was on and it looked like the TV was playing in the living room. Soul usually hardly comes out of his room, so i wonder what's gotten into him.

"Are you coming to school tomorrow? In case everyone asks," said Black Star as I was about to shut the door.

"Of course I'm going," I replied. "These are just scratches. They'll heal up no problem."

That was kind of a lie. They were all at least a few inches deep and were burning like no one's business, but I didn't want to make anyone worry about me unnecessarily.

"Right. See you tomorrow then," he grinned before driving back to his house.

I sighed and went inside, climbing the stairs to my apartment and pushing open the door with a meager, "I'm home..."

What I saw made my stomach drop. Soul and Angel were cuddled up on the couch watching a scary movie. She had her face buried in his chest as the blood splattered across the camera.

"Maka? What the hell happened?" Soul demanded as I headed to my room.

"Sorry about the water," I mumbled. "I'll clean it up later. Promise."

Slamming the bedroom door, I plopped down on the ground at just sat there. It hurt to know they were a couple, but it hurt even more to see it with my own eyes.

Was I really that bad of a friend to not notice that he'd liked her before? They never really talked during class and Soul was with most of the time... So why hadn't I noticed something? Why had I been so afraid to just tell him?

My door opened and I looked up to see Soul standing there with the first aid kit.

"If you don't bandage that up, you're going to faint from loss of blood," he said, sitting down next to me on the ground.

"I can do it myself," I told him, but he held the box out of my reach.

"Nope. You've got some explaining to do," he stated. "You start acting weird and skipping lunch, then you storm out when me and Angel show up, and you snuck out on a mission without me. That wasn't very cool. You could have gotten killed."

I grimaced as I snatched the disinfectant and bandages from his hand. "Is that all? I'd hate to make you miss your date, so get out of my room, Soul Eater."

He looked at me for a second and I realized I sounded way too jealous.

"She said she was going home," he stated, gently taking the things I'd grabbed back. "Take off your jacket."

I wordlessly did as I was told and sat still as he ripped the sleeves off my shirt. My sweater was in tatters so he just cut the rest of it away with his own scythe blade.

My white blouse was practically see-through since it was soaking wet from the rain. I blushed self consciously and I could see a hint of redness on Soul's cheeks as he went to work on my wounds.

"If something happened to me, you could just find a new partner," I said, my voice coming out barely above a whisper.

He reached a hand up and gently flicked my forehead. "You idiot. How could I do that when every single time I've nearly died, or even that one time Stein told you I was going to die and you should consider finding a new partner, you cried buckets and clung to me for dear life, saying he had to save me...?"

"...because no one could replace you," I finished with a small smile. "Yeah, I remember."

"Then why are you saying stuff like that?"

I winced as he poured a little Alcohol onto my shoulder. "You'd be better off with a stronger Meister. That way, you don't have to get hurt."

Soul shook his head, a disapproving expression on his face. "How many other Meisters would risk their souls to save their weapon from madness? You've risked your head as much as I've risked mine, so stop feeling bad. It just means we've got each other's backs."

"I'm pretty sure all our friends would have done the same with their partners," I replied. Maybe for different reasons, but they wouldn't have left their Weapons to descend into madness.

"But none of them are you," he said, looking into my eyes. "I don't think many other people out there would storm angrily into the infirmary and yell at their injured partners first thing."

"I thought you hated that."

"It's kind of funny sometimes. I don't mind the insults as much as the noise," he chuckled as he wrapped up my shoulder in a white bandage and asked me to hold my arm out.

It was hard to be mad at him when we were like this. Just the two of us.

"How are things with Angel?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

"She's sweet. Things are okay, I guess. What about you and Black Star? Never thought that guy would be the dating type."

Am I really having this conversation with Soul.

"Actually, we..." I trailed off as my phone rang and Soul handed it to me.

"Hello?"

"Maka, are you alright? Black Star told me what happened. Seems like he got there just in time. He was really worried about you," ranted a very concerned Tsubaki. "Are you holding up okay? I should have told you about the date... I'm so sorry."

"Tsubaki, stop and take a breath. Don't apologize, okay? I'm fine," I reassured her, turning the volume down with my thumb so Soul wouldn't be able to hear. "You don't have to worry about me, and tell Black Star not to either. I'm absolutely fine."

Before I even finished my sentence, there was a knock on the apartment door. Soul raised an eyebrow before going out to open it.

"Maka, did you..."

"No... It's... They were just watching a movie," I told her. "I have to go, though. Someone came over."

"Alright. See you at school. Goodnight."

I hung up the phone and went to see who was at the door. Soul was talking to Liz about something and I hurriedly interrupted before she said something about me having feelings for him.

"Liz? What are you doing here?"

"We were watching your mission from Lord Death's room and Kid's really ticked off at you for being so reckless," she answered. "But he asked me to come check and see if you were okay."

"I'm fine," I assured her. It felt like I'd said that phrase more than a thousand times lately.

She sighed and looked at my shirt. "Put some dry clothes on. You'll get sick," she stated before turning and walking down the hallway.

"What were you guys talking about?" I asked as Soul closed the door.

"She was pissed 'cause I let you go out there alone like that," he muttered.

"Oh. Well, I made that decision on my own so it wasn't your fault."

"I'm your Weapon partner, Maka. It's my job to protect you. Of course if's my fault if anything happens to you."

"But it's not. I'd rather it be me than you in a hospital bed."

"You're not a Shinigami like Kid, okay? You can die pretty easily."

"Stop making me out to be some weak damsel," I snapped. "Because I'm not. I can take care of myself without your help and I could get a hell of a lot more Kishin eggs on my own! I don't need you as much as you think."

"So why are we even partners?" Soul demanded. "If you want to focus on turning yourself into a Death Scythe, I'm not gonna stand in your way."

He pulled open the door and walked out before I could say another word.

I fell onto my knees and tears began to well up in my eyes. I couldn't believe I'd just said something like that. Of course I needed him. I needed him more than anybody and all I wanted to do was just apologize and have everything go back to the way it was. Maybe he was better off with Angel. She seemed to make him happy and she wasn't a complete idiot hothead like me...

Sniffling, I lay down on the floor, curled up into a ball, and cried myself to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Maka**_

The brightness of the grinning sun brought me back to consciousness. I was still laying on the floor and my face felt crusted with dried tears. So either Soul hadn't come back last night, or he didn't care. Both options seemed pretty logical, considering how I'd acted. I would have to apologize to him big time.

I slowly got up, my body aching from either the fights last night or laying on the floor. Probably both. Unsteadily, I made my way to the bathroom and rinsed my face off before stepping into the shower and letting the warm water flow over my skin. I hardly noticed the stinging on my left arm, which still bore the four gashes, not bandaged. I felt so completely numb. My brain, my body... But why was my heart still aching for Soul's embrace. I slowly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel and going to my room to get dressed.

My eyes widened when I noticed a neatly folded pile of laundry in my closet and the combat coat my mother had left me hanging inside. In my haste, I hadn't noticed it last night, which only made me feel even worse.

Still, I pulled on my usual school attire, which was a plaid skirt, white blouse, a vanilla sweater vest, and a green and white striped tie. I decided to slip on the leather jacket as well to cover up my bandages. Pulling my hair into pigtails and brushing my bangs downward. I looked in the mirror and gave myself an emotionless smile as I picked up my things and headed out to school.

Absentmindedly climbing the front steps, I averted my gaze when I saw Soul and Angel passing me, not acknowledging my presence. I couldn't blame him.

I knew I should apologize to him right there and then, but the words wouldn't come to my mouth. All I could do was watch as he put his arm around her shoulders and continued to walk up the front steps.

Ragnarok was right. I sucked. I really sucked. I can't even be there to be happy for Soul. Instead, I go and make things worse, just like I always do.

I made my way to class and snuck to the very back, noticing Soul and Angel sitting together on the other side of the room. Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Liz, and Patty were nowhere to be seen as Professor Stein began lecturing on the anatomy of another extinct animal.

Dutifully getting out my notebook, I somewhat robotically took notes, everything I heard going in one ear and out the other as soon as I'd gotten them written down. It was like my brain was at full capacity and it was rejecting any new knowledge.

I couldn't help but let my gaze wander, and it landed on Soul and Angel. Their fingers were intertwined and placed on the desk as they both wrote down a few things before glancing at each other with little smiles. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach, like I'd spew blood from my mouth and nose and collapse like Kid did when he saw something asymmetrical.

Gratefully, class finally ended, and I gathered my things and left the room along with everyone else. I didn't dare to into the lunchroom. I wasn't even that hungry. So, I walked outside to the front courtyard and sat on the front steps gazing over Death City.

My life seemed to be crumbling to pieces before my very eyes and there was nothing I was doing to stop it. Why was it so hard to just tell Soul how I really felt and just accept whatever answer he gives me? Because I was afraid, that's why.

The DWMA always taught us that we needed fear in life in order to keep us from doing stupid and reckless things, yet I was always able to push that fear aside and still do stupid and reckless things during battles, which always ended up with Soul taking the fall for me. Maybe I wasn't as strong as I'd thought, or as brave. If I couldn't overcome this small obstacle, how could I be?

I remember being incredibly surprised when Soul first asked to team up with me. From his demeanor and attitude, I would have never guessed he'd pick me as his partner. And you can probably imagine how surprised I was when I found out that the two of us had compatible Wavelengths. The point is, no one would have ever guessed we'd be partners, so how could I expect to be his girlfriend when we were so...so different?

I got to my feet and walked down the stairs into Death City. I'm not sure what for but I felt like I just had to get out of there.

Noticing a weird flyer taped to the side of an alleyway I usually went down, I decided to see what it was about. Apparently, there'd be an up and coming band playing at Death City's underground club later. It sounded like Soul's kind of fun, but I doubted he'd have time to go since he's with Angel. And I didn't especially want to go home after school... Checking out a concert wouldn't be so bad. The alternative was going home and seeing Soul pack his things and get ready to leave. Of course, I was imagining the worst-case scenario, but still...

Folding up the flier, I placed it in my bag and headed back to school for afternoon classes. I honestly couldn't afford to miss any more school if I was going to keep my top ranking in class.

I made it back to class just in time and went to my seat in the back without a word. There was no one to talk to anyway. My small group of friends was nowhere to be seen and the only one here refused to even acknowledge my existence.

After another few hours of taking notes, class was dismissed and I walked over to Soul and Angel.

"Can I talk to you alone for a second, Angel? It'll be quick, I promise," I added.

Angel nodded. "Of course. I'll meet you outside, Soul."

Once my Weapon partner had left without saying a word to me, I turned my gaze to Angel and sighed. "Have you ever tried using Soul Eater as a Weapon?"

She shook her head. "You're his partner, aren't you? So how could I?"

"Well, do you know if you can match Wavelengths with him?"

"What is this about?" she asked softly, her eyes searching mine.

"I'm thinking of voiding my partnership with Soul. Things haven't been going too well, and at this rate, we won't be able to match Wavelengths, much less resonate anymore."

That wasn't entirely true. The last time I'd checked (which was before Soul had left the classroom just now), our souls were, surprisingly, perfectly matched. We hadn't even slipped a notch. But the fact that Angel would make a better Meister for him...

"Are you really going to do that, Maka? You're just going to void your partnership with him after he risked his life to save yours? If it were me, I'd treasure him even more as my Weapon partner!" She was practically in tears, but I pretended not to see.

"And that's why you'd make a better partner for him than me. I'll work out the details with him later, but I just wanted to let you know, he might be available as a Weapon soon, too so you can get first go at asking him to team up."

I turned and walked out the door before she could say a word. I didn't even look at Soul, and he didn't glance at me, as I walked down the hallway towards the exit. As soon as I got outside, I broke into a run, hoping to get home before Soul did to toss my bag before going to the concert. Luckily, I made it in and out before he showed up, and headed towards the club.

I walked down a few streets until I found the entrance that I'd seen my father go through on several occasions. This would be my first time down there, but it was a fifteen and up entrance, so I doubt it can be too bad.

Pulling open the door, I flinched at the smell of alcohol and smoke coming through and took a few deep breaths of fresh air before going in.

There was pounding music and a suffocating crowd of people. This type of party was definitely not my scene.

I leaned against the back wall, uncertain of what to do. I wasn't much of a dancer, but something told me I should wait for the band to come play. Nobody so much as gave me a second glance, and seeing what the girls in here were wearing, I could see why.

Finally, an announcer came on in a white suit with several gold chains hanging around his neck to tell everyone that the band would be playing momentarily.

As soon as the last word had left his mouth, he disappeared, wrapped in smoke as the concert began. The songs weren't really down my alley, but something about the lead singer drew my attention and I could slowly feel my soul being pulled towards him. The next thing I knew, I'd somehow arrived at the front of the crowd, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He had jet black hair, the back spiked up while the front hung over half his face. He was wearing a pair of black jeans along with a loose black muscle shirt, which still showed off his toned midsection.

The song they were playing seemed to pull out every emotion and thought I had towards Soul. It was like reading the story of my love life, and it was eerily creepy.

The singer extended a hand and I found myself taking it and letting him pull up onto the stage as the concert continued. I hardly noticed the envious stares of man girls as he looped his arm around my waist and pulled my body against his.

I knew I should be doing something to stop this, but that thought completely vanished within seconds, replaced by a picture of Soul and Angel kissing, his body entangled with hers. I could feel incredibly overwhelming darkness flowing through my soul, taking it over and pulling me into blackness. The image of the Soul and Angel seemed to be taunting me as he took off her top and ran his hands over her bear skin. It was like watching my worst nightmare in 3D, and it only got worse.

It eventually became unbearable to watch and I begged for it to stop I'd do anything for it to stop. The nightmare slowly faded away into blackness and I was completely engulfed in the darkness of my own soul within seconds.

* * *

What was this feeling? Where was I? What was I supposed to be doing?

_Soul..._

The name sounded familiar, like I should know it very well. But, who was that again? And what was this feeling I had when I thought of him? Resentment? Hatred? No, hatred was too strong. I just resented him. But why?

A small light appeared in the darkness, gradually getting bigger as it got closer. It was a glowing human form. I recognized this person. He was the one who had pulled me up onstage.

"Hello, Maka," he said in a smooth voice. "How do you feel?"

How do I...feel? It seemed like it should be an easy question, but I couldn't find the right words. "I don't know."

"That's alright. It's okay to not know," the man reassured me, extending a hand. "My name is Fang. I'd like to help you. Simply take my hand and I can save you from the darkness that consumes you. Make you forget it."

Forget? Something told me I didn't want to forget. That, even if it was a dark memory, I wanted to keep it. But it scares me. If I get rid of it, I could start over, couldn't I?

"Why, yes," Fang told me, as if reading my thoughts. "You can start over. With me. All I ask is that you place your trust in me, and I will save you from this darkness. A radiant beauty like yours shouldn't be shrouded in blackness."

Slowly, I reach my hand forward, placing it in his. As soon as I touched him, I was enveloped in whiteness and my consciousness faded away with the dark.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Soul_**

I pushed open the apartment door and looked around. Maka wasn't here. She usually came straight home after school to study. Closing the door behind me, I tossed my school bag on the couch and went to get something to eat from the fridge. That's when I noticed Maka's door was slightly ajar.

"Maka?" I called, walking towards her room. "Hey, you in there?"

I gave the door a light tap and let it swing open to reveal that no one was inside. Catching a glimpse of Maka's book bag on the ground, I knelt down to pick it up for her. It looked like she tossed it in here in a hurry before running out.

There was a flyer sticking out of the back pocket and, out of curiosity, I checked it out. A band called the Fear Factor was playing a show in Death City's underground club. As far as I've heard, that band's been everywhere, but people say their music isn't too good. There've always been weird incidents and a ton of crimes directly after the band left town, though.

Shoving the flyer in my pocket, I grabbed my motorcycle keys and ran out the door. Man, I really hope Maka hasn't done anything stupid.

Now that I think about it, it probably would have been a better idea to just talk to her. What's the worst that could have happened? We get into another argument?

After Maka had come out of the classroom, I had to wait a few minutes until Angel finally followed. She looked a little shaken, and at first, I was kind of scared about what Maka might have done to her.

_"Soul, you can't let her void your partnership," Angel sniffled, taking me by surprise._

_"Void our partnership?" I demanded. "What do you mean?"_

_She shook her head, trying to compose herself before speaking. "She was talking about terminating you partnership. She told me that if she decided to do it, she wanted me to ask you to be my partner, but I could never do that. Not after everything you've done for her."_

_I gazed into her eyes which were glimmering with tears. I knew I had to fix things with Maka, and I'd have to do it quick, but I just couldn't leave Angel in this state. That'd be lame._

_"Okay. I'll do what I can. But first, we should get you home," I stated, leading her down the hallway._

Starting the engine, I kicked off and drove towards the entrance to the club. I've never personally been there, but I've heard rumors about it around campus, plus Maka's dad went there a lot.

I finally found it and ran in, taking the stairs two at a time in my rush. When I got downstairs, the place was practically deserted.

"Hey, we're closed, kid," said a gruff voice.

I turned around to see a man in probably his forties dressed in a white suit and white dress shoes. The gold chains around his neck indicated that he was probably the owner of this dump. Plus, the fact that he was flanked with two giant body guards made it kind of a dead giveaway.

"I have to see my friend," I answered. "She's about this tall, ash blonde hair, wearing a school uniform."

"If that's you're lookin' for, she's one of the band groupies," the owner replied. "You ain't allowed back there, so why don't you go wait for your slut girlfriend at home?"

"Don't ever use that word to describe her," I seethed, gritting my teeth.

"This is my club. I can say whatever I damn please. It's you who should get out while you can still walk," he sneered.

Grimacing, I hardened my hand into a blade. "I'm not leaving without my Meister."

"Now, why don't you fight someone on your own level?"

I turned to face the stage and the owner of the mysterious voice. A man in his early twenties walked out dressed in black jeans and a loose muscle shirt. What really caught my attention was the girl who followed him onto the stage.

"Maka?" I asked, squinting in awe at my Meister.

She had her hair in messy curls over her shoulders, her bangs brushed to the side. Her eyes were rimmed with black and she was wearing tight slashed jeans along with a top that revealed her midsection under a leather vest. It looked nothing like Maka, but I could faintly sense her soul there. Question is, why was it so faint.

"Soul," she uttered, her eyes seeming to look right through me.

"Maka, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Let's go home. This isn't like you."

"Don't you think her new looks is cool?" asked the man, draping an arm around her shoulder. "Although, that prep school get up was cute in its own way. I sure did enjoy taking it off though."

"Damn you," I growled. "Don't touch my Meister."

"Oh, haven't you heard? She doesn't want you anymore?" the man purred, gently stroking Maka's cheek. "She's my agent now."

"Shut your mouth. I don't believe a word you're saying," I snapped. "Maka! I know you can here me! Dammit, stop being an idiot and come home!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible. I, Fang, am now her master. She's under my control."

"That's not true. Maka's stronger than that!"

"Oh, I'm sure she was. But it's the confused, lost, and lonely souls that are easiest to control," Fang smiled. "And I wonder who hurt the poor girl so much that she'd want to forget."

That couldn't have been me. Could it?

"Maka, listen to me! This isn't you! Stop this!" I cried.

"Soul... Shut up," she said, her voice coming out flat and emotionless.

"No! I'm not gonna leave you like this!"

"Well, now. What a nuisance," drawled Fang. "How about you show him your true power, my dear? Kill Soul Evans and erase the darkness forever."

Maka's arm glowed before turning into a blade. "Gladly, master."

She ran off the stage and lunged at me, her eyes glassy, her movements all clearly saying she had every intention of skewering me. This was the opposite of cool.

"Cut it out, Maka," I pleaded, blocking her attacks as best I could without hurting her. "Come on, what are you trying to pull here?"

"Why are you here?" she asked, her attacks not missing a beat.

"I'm here..." I trailed off. I'd come here to apologize, didn't I? So why couldn't I say it out loud.

"Die, Soul." She plunged the blade extending from her arm into my left shoulder and I cried out in pain. Pulling it back out, she kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying back against the wall.

"Maka..." I coughed, getting back to my feet. "I'm sorry."

Something sparked in her eyes, but it was gone before I could say anything else as she attacked again, hooking my stomach with her arm and throwing a punch that sent me crashing onto a pool table, breaking it down the middle. This wasn't looking very good for me. What was I supposed to do?

She lunged at me again and I managed to roll out of the way and avoids getting impaled with her arm, but she caught up in the ribs with a hard kick, knocking the wind out of me. Not missing a beat, she kneed me in the face and ga e me a hard kick in the side.

"Alright, that's enough," Fang drawled from the stage. "Is that enough to prove to you that your Meister is no longer yours?"

I furrowed my brows and got to my feet. I've never wanted to kill someone more than I did this guy. "No. I'm never going to give up on her, do you hear me? Maka is my Meister and I'm her Weapon partner. We're a team and I can't —" Before I could finish, Maka had spun around and landed a punch in my left shoulder where she'd stabbed me, causing pain to shoot down my arm.

"Some people never learn," Fang said, shaking his head. "Finish him."

I ducked out of the way to avoid a kick and let Maka push me to the floor, pulling her down along with me and shoving her on her back as gently as I could. Holding her arms down, I looked into her eyes, holding her gaze as she tried to get free, and well, kill me.

"Maka, you have to listen to me," I told her. "You're in some sort of trance and you need to snap out of it! I know you're there. I can feel your soul. Just let me in!"

"What do you want from me? You love Angel, don't you? So why are you still trying to get me to go with you?"

"No. That's not true." Her eyes widened as I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers, reaching out with my soul. If we could establish even a weak resonance, I could get my thoughts across to her.

After a few seconds, she stopped struggling and lay still underneath me, her eyes slowly closing.

_Feel in my soul how much I love you Maka. Don't leave me. I need you. I know you can come back. I believe that you have the courage to fight your fear, so do it. _

Pulling away, I waited for a few seconds and her eyes finally fluttered open. The glazed look was gone, replaced with the determined and convicted look that I was used to.

I slowly got off of her, half afraid she'd start trying to cut me open again, but she stood up and extended a hand, her gaze softening. "Thanks."

I grinned letting her pull me to my feet. "No worries. What do you say we take out that guy that's been playing doll with you?"

"My pleasure," she smirked. "Transformation time, Soul. Let's go."

I smiled as I did a full body transformation into a scythe. I was glad to have Maka back. For now, we'd have to focus on the task at hand, and the rest we'd deal with later.

However, our attempts were kind of in vain, considering the dude disappeared while I was trying to get Maka to come back to her senses.

"Can you use your Soul Perception to track him?" I asked.

"No, it seems like he's completely disappeared, and I'm not familiar enough with his soul to track him long distance," she sighed, gently placing me on the ground. "I'm such a screw up."

Transforming back into my human form, I stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't say that. You're not a screw up, okay? If anyone messed up, it's me."

"I'm sorry," whispered Maka, tears streaming down her face. "I... I should have just been happy for you guys. Instead, I acted like a complete jerk."

Wait, did she not remember...?

"When you snapped out of the mind control...what do you remember?" I asked hesitantly.

"W...well, I could sense your soul... You were really determined to...to get me out of there," she replied, her voice trembling. "It took me a while, but..."  
She suddenly stopped, her eyes widening as she turned her gaze on me.

I gave her a crooked smile and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Yeah...well..."

"You said... You said you loved me," she said in a soft voice.

I only nodded, hoping for the best. The worst thing that could happen is she rejects me, right?

"Did you mean it?"

I blinked before stepping forward and pulling her body against mine. "Of course I meant it, you idiot. You know me better than that."

She wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face in my uninjured shoulder. "I love you too, Soul."

With those three words, she suddenly erased all the fears that I'd had before. I knew exactly what I had to do now. I'd tell Angel and her pushover father the truth. That I loved Maka, and that was my final decision.

Maka took a step back and looked into my eyes, searching for an explanation. "What about you and Angel?"

"I'll explain everything," I promised, taking her hand in mine. "But we should probably get out of this dump before anyone else decides to start a fight with us."

She nodded and followed me up the stairs. I never thought I'd enjoy the sensation of fresh air so much, but after being in that musty basement they call a club, I couldn't get enough of it. I could tell Maka thought the same thing since she was breathing in as much air as she could, too as she sat down on a bench and looked over at me.

"Alright, spill," she snapped after a few seconds.

"You know how my family owns some of the biggest industries in the states?" I asked, sitting down next to her.

"Yeah, you've never really given me much detail on that, though."

I sighed. "That's 'cause I don't really want to be considered an Evans. When people looked at me at those fancy parties I used to get dragged to, they saw the future head of the Evans family, not me. But when I came here to Death City and I met you..." I met her gaze and I could't help but give her a small smile as I put my hand over hers. "You didn't care about that. You always told me to take back the expensive gifts and got mad at me when I paid for your stuff."

"And don't forget that time I Maka Chopped you for saying you were going to buy me a car for my birthday," she giggled.

"Yeah, I wasn't joking about that," I chuckled. "But anyway, anyone else would have been all over it. I guess I got into a habit of doing that sort of thing for my so-called friends before I came here. The reason I brought up my family is because Angel's father, who unfortunately happens to be ranked the second most powerful under my father, just so happened to find out about who I am. The dude invited me to dinner and I kinda asked you to go, but you said no... So he told me to date Angel. Listen, the guy's really powerful and you don't have a clue what kind of blackmailing they do to each other... I couldn't risk him going after my family for something stupid I did. I guess I have to give you props for all the quick thinking you do during battles."

Maka stared at me, a small smile playing on her lips.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She laced her fingers through mine, and it felt so much better and natural than when Angel did it.

"It's just that that's the longest I've heard you continuously talk. Ever," she giggled.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly one for speeches. I think that's more down Black Star's alley. Speaking of which..." I trailed off, not knowing if I should ask her.

"Soul, I don't like him in that way," she stated, reaching over and tilting my chin up so she could look me in the eye. "Believe it or not, I've only had feelings for you for the past year."

My jaw dropped so low, I was surprised it didn't end up halfway to China. "S...say what?"

"I've liked you for over a year now, okay?" she repeated, blushing. "I'm not going to say it again."

My shocked expression turned into a grin as I gently pulled her onto my lap, hearing a small squeak escaping her lips.

"It wasn't cool to just keep it to yourself," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her waist. "But, I guess we're even, since I've been crushing on you for a while, too."

"Promise me something?" Maka requested in a soft voice.

"Anything," I replied, meeting her gaze.

"From now on, we tell each other these things. Seeing as to how much damage has come from leaving them unspoken, I think it's a fair deal, right?"

I thought about it for a second before nodding. "You're right, Maka. I swear I'll always talk to you if something's up."

"And I promise I'll always tell _you_ if something's up," she responded, kissing me on the cheek.

A grin spread across my face as I got an idea. "Since you weren't fully aware of the last one..." I gently placed my hand on her cheek and leaned forward to press my lips against hers.

I could feel her smiling against my lips as she began to kiss back. Suddenly, she was all that mattered, right then and there. Her closeness, her scent, the feeling of her lips moving with mine. Damn. For a girl who's never had her first kiss, she sure was doing pretty good.

She was perfect. No, not Kid's sense of perfect where everything's symmetrical and that shit, but perfect as in perfect for me.

We pulled away after a couple of minutes to catch a breath and I was surprised to see a tear rolling down her cheek, glinting in the moonlight.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wiping it away with my thumb.

"That's not it," she replied, shaking her head. "I think I'm crying because everything's _right_. What are you going to tell Angel's father, though? I don't want to be the reason trouble ensues your family."

"With a brainiac like you on my side, I'm sure we'll come up with something," I grinned.

She softly kissed me again before smiling almost triumphantly. "Well, next time someone rich tries to set you up with their daughter, just tell them you have a girlfriend."

"So does that mean you'll go out with me?" I asked.

She twisted her mouth into a tight line before shaking her head again. "Not until you break it off with Angel. Then you can try asking again."

"Cool. Let's go home. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow, okay?"

Maka nodded and I scooped her into my arms as I got up.

"Hey, let me down, Soul," she protested, wriggling in my arms. "I can walk."

"What fun's that?" I laughed, setting her down on my motorcycle before getting on in front of her.

Starting the engine, I pushed off smiling to myself when I felt Maka's arms wrapping around me, her head leaning on my shoulder.

Once we got home, Maka immediately sat me down and ordered me to take off my shirt as she got out the first aid kit.

"Soul!" she scolded when I chuckled after she told me to take my shirt off.

I held up my hands apologetically and let her dab disinfectant on the wound before working on bandaging it. Noticing the sad look on her face, I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Maka. I'm the only person to blame for what happened, so don't beat yourself up over it," I reassured her.

She kept her eyes downcast as she continued to wrap my shoulder up. "It's because I was so blindly jealous. It consumed me and left me weak. If I'd just been able to be happy with you being happy..."

I shook my head, kneeling down next to her. "Listen, it's okay to feel that way. It's cool to know you care enough to. I felt how much pain your soul was in. And I'm so sorry."

She threw her arms around my neck and I hugged her back. We stayed there for a minute or two before she pulled away, smiling slightly. "You did what you thought was best, and that's okay. What's important is that we understand each other now. And if you don't want to say things out loud, you can just resonate souls with me, that way we can snoop around in each other's heads," she laughed, poking my cheek.

"I've got nothing to hide," I grinned, pressing my lips against her forehead. "We'd better get some sleep, though. We've got school tomorrow."

Nodding, Maka finished bandaging my arm and told me to go ahead and take the bathroom first.

After I was done, I knocked on her door and found her curled up on her bed, fast asleep. Smiling, I tucked her in, making sure not to wake her up, before heading over to my room to get some shut-eye myself.

* * *

When morning finally came, I sleepily got out of bed and followed the smell of eggs and bacon into the kitchen. Maka was humming happily as she worked on breakfast. It already kind of felt like we were married.

Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I kissed her on the cheek. "Morning."

She smiled and pecked me on the lips before returning to cooking.

"Thanks for making breakfast," I said, opening the fridge for something to drink.

"Don't get used to it," she told me. "I owed you one for saving me from being a living doll."

"Touché."

We both ate breakfast and I gave Maka first go at the bathroom since she usually took longer to get everything done. She actually came out dressed like she used to in her plaid skirt, sweater vest, and white blouse. The only thing different was that her ash blonde hair was now in a ponytail and her bangs were to the side.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, noticing my stare.

"You always do," I replied as we grabbed our stuff and walked out the door.

On our way to school, Maka brainstormed different ways to help me out with the whole Angel situation, but that wasn't really necessary because we ran into first thing, and she didn't let either of us say a word before talking.

"Hey, Soul. Maka. Listen. About our relationship Soul, I'm breaking up with you. If we were ever really dating. I mean..." she paused for a few seconds as if trying to find the right words. "In order for it to be a relationship, the feelings have to be mutual. I can tell that you love Maka and I know now that I can't change your mind. And Maka, I'm really sorry I took him away from you," she added.

"I understand," I responded. "But what about your dad?"

"I already told him that I wasn't interested in you and that you were completely different from what I'd expected," she stated. "I hope you two will be happy together. I do love you, Soul, but I realize that my feelings for you are dwarfed by Maka's and I can tell that you care about her a lot. Thank you, though."

She gave me a quick hug before running up the front steps.

"Erm...what just happened?" Maka asked. It wasn't very like her to blank out, but it looked like she was totally lost.

"I think Angel just solved the rest of our problems," I said, a little awestruck myself.

"Well, most of our problems. We still have to find out where Fang is and defeat him," she pointed out.

"One step at a time," I told her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "So, how about it? Will you be my girlfriend now, Maka?"

Before she could answer, we were interrupted by a loud "YAHOO!" coMing from behind us.

Black Star was running towards us with Tsubaki on his heels.

"Hey, you guys!" he grinned, waving.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, looked completely deflated.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as Black Star and I did our customary handshake.

"We failed another mission," Tsubaki groaned.

"What was it this time?" asked Maka, rubbing her friend' snack comfortingly.

"We decided to go for a Witch's soul early, you know, so we wouldn't have to worry about it at the end," said Black Star. "There was one right in Death City! Can you believe that?"

"And?" I questioned.

"Well, we got to the place, and Tsubaki chickened out and refused to go in."

"That place is horrible. I couldn't go in there," his Weapon pointed out.

"Where was it, anyway?" asked Maka.

"The underground club. We were after some guy named Fang. She chose it," he added, jabbing a thumb in Tsubaki's direction. "But whatever. No big deal."

"Where were you guys yesterday? I didn't see you at school," said Maka.

"Oh, we got excused to track down the Witch's soul," Black Star replied. "And Kid took a mission somewhere in the Amazon. Man, I can only imagine how much Liz must be complaining right now."

We all laughed as we went up the stairs towards the Academy's entrance.

Classes ran normally, except now, I noticed Maka would sneak glances at me, too, always looking away when I caught her. I couldn't help but laugh a little and when class ended, she wanted to go talk to Stein about something.

"Professor, I'd like to transfer the souls I collected on the mission to Seattle to Soul Eater's account," she stated, approaching him.

"Oh? Normally, I wouldn't allow it, but I'd like to ask why you would want to do that?" the doctor asked.

"I realized that Soul and I are a team. And we'll stay a team until he becomes a Deathscythe, and maybe even after, like you and my dad," Maka responded. "Therefore, I'd like to give Soul the Kishin eggs I collected and remain as only his Meister."

"And you have no intention of becoming a Deathscythe yourself, Maka?"

I watched as she shook her head. "No, sir. I want to follow in my mom's footsteps and be a top notch Meister. Learning to use myself as a Weapon is just a precaution. That's my final decision."

Stein didn't answer for a few seconds before slowly nodding and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Well, if that's how you feel, I suppose I can make an exception this once, considering you learned a valuable lesson. That is, if Soul is content with it."

They both turned to me expectantly and I broke into a grin. "It wouldn't be very cool of me to turn down such a nice offer, would it?"

Motioning for us to follow him, Professor Stein led us to his office and told us to sit down facing each other on the floor.

"Alright, in order for this to work, you have to resonate with each other at full strength. You cannot hold anything back, nor can you try to hide anything. Let your partner's soul blend with yours completely and feel their presence. The rest, I'll take care of," he instructed.

Maka and I looked at each other and smiled before mouthing in unison the words, "Let's go, Soul Resonance."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Maka_**

_Soul and I are partners. And nothing is ever going to change that. _

I closed my eyes as Stein instructed and reached out my soul to Soul's.

"_Soul? Can you hear me?" I asked_ using our resonance as a medium.

_"Yeah. Hey, Maka," his soul replied. "This is pretty cool."_

I couldn't help but wonder if this was how he'd brought me back from that trance.

There was no denying how bad I felt about hurting Soul while I was in under mind control. The fact that I'd been mad at him for dating someone else, the fact that I hadn't been content with just letting him be happy...

_"Maka, stop. You're wrong. I wasn't happy; Not without you. So just stop thinking like that."_

_"Sorry..." I replied. _

_"Listen, I love you. Only you. And that's all that matters, so stop blaming yourself for everything," he stated. _

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks and a smile spreading across my face as I responded with my thoughts.  
_"I love you too."_

There was also something in his soul that I'd never seen before. No, more like something he's never been willing to show me every time we've resonated before: His family. His brother, Wes, who he felt he could never be as good as. Maybe that was why he didn't like playing. He never really had very much freedom within his family, and it was like he never really got to express himself. He was a completely different person. And that was practically his entire childhood; his entire past before he came to Death City.

Then, I saw myself through his eyes. The first day we met, I'd had my nose in a notebook, intently taking notes. I couldn't help but giggle a little when I saw the look on my face when he asked me to become partners with him. Our first battle together. And our first time resonating souls was absolutely exhilarating. The first argument we had about who messed up on dinner before we actually set up a decent routine for cooking shifts. He was right. Looking back on it, our fights were pretty comical.

It was weird. At the same time I was seeing all this, I was experiencing his emotions that came with the memories. And for some reason, happiness was dominant above irritation and anger. Deep down, he seemed to always be happy when he was around me, just like when I was when I was with him.

I flinched a little at the part where he took Crona's blade for me and couldn't help but wonder how he'd forgiven Crona so easily afterwards. To my shock, I found out that it was because of me. Because I was trying so hard and he hadn't wanted to ruin it all by holding a grudge, even if he was tempted to.

And the battle the the Kishin, Asura. That was pretty intense, too. Even then, when I'd been inside of Soul Eater's soul, I hadn't seen any of this.

Flash forward months after and everything went downhill. Well, you know the story from there.

_"I had no idea," we both whispered through our soul connection at the same time._

Before either of us could say anything else, we were pulled back to the outside world by Stein's voice.

"Alright, the transfer is complete," he informed us. "You're both free to go now."

Soul extended a hand and helped me up, his face unreadable as he led the way out of the room, my hand still in his.

Once we were outside, I pulled him to a stop.

"Soul, I'm sorry," I said. "And...thank you."

"I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea how much pain I put you through." He pulled me into his arms, his chin resting on the top of my head. "I'll never hurt you like that again."

I smiled against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Thanks."

"So, about being my girlfriend..." he said a few seconds later, pulling away.

"I'd love to," I replied with a smile as I softly pressed my lips against his.

So, in the end, despite all the words left unsaid, I finally knew how he felt about me, and he knew how I felt about him. Honestly, it was kind of stupid that we didn't just say it all out loud. I was scared for nothing. But it didn't really matter now because I finally know that he loves me back, and so much more.

* * *

_**Meanwhile...**_

Two students from class Crescent Moon were perched lightly on one of the candlesticks eternally burning outside the DWMA, watching the scene down below between Soul Eater and Maka.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave things like this?" Tsubaki asked her partner, giving him a sideways glance.

"A big man like me doesn't need to steal his best friend's girlfriend," her Meister replied, but he couldn't even make himself smile.

"Weren't you the one who kept urging Maka to tell Soul how she felt?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, well, if she's happy, I'm cool with that. Besides, there's no point in making things awkward and causing a bunch of unnecessary drama. That wouldn't be very cool," Black Star pointed out. "Besides, a few words left unspoken won't kill anyone.

Tsubaki gave him a proud smile and nodded.  
But what the assassin wasn't willing to admit out loud was that it was killing _him _inside.

* * *

**A/N: *sniffles* Poor Black Star. I tried to make him a little more relateable in this while still keeping his Black Star-ness intact. Like I said, I haven't read all the manga, so this was based purely after the events of the Soul Eater anime series. Reviews are always appreciated, especially because this was my first full blown ship fic, so please, please, please let me know how I did.  
****Thanks so much for reading and I hope you'll give my other stories a shot as well.**


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